


Disinhibition

by Rexica



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action, Adventure, Dissociation, F/M, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-17 12:11:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 112,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13658730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rexica/pseuds/Rexica
Summary: The Straw Hat pirates found themselves making an unexpected stop in the New World, and it was on this nondescript island that the wayward swordsman met an ill-tempered ninja. Their chance encounter launched the Straw Hat crew on a new journey, one that would surely end in death or infamy, and in Zoro's case, probably both. Assuming the shitty ninja didn't murder him first.





	1. Fresh Blood

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT (09 Oct 18): Hi there. Adding this edit for anyone new to my fic.
> 
> Be patient with these first chapters. I just needed to get the ball rollin'. Of course this fic will never be perfect, whatever that word means to you. Good news is I'm getting better as I go, and plus, I have an awesome beta helping me now. I'm just happy my OC and this story exist in the world in some way. I really hope you get some enjoyment out of it!
> 
> This story takes place a while after Wano, in the vague future of the canon OP universe. Zoro is about 24 years old here, to give you a reference point. The SHC hasn't reached end game goals yet—the adventure continues.
> 
> I started this fic to develop my OC (the shitty little ninja, obviously). She belongs to a different, original universe and story. I was having mucho trouble writing from her POV and thought, yanno who would just looove this feisty little murder machine? And here we are. I know we're all here for the marimo and SHC goodness, wheeww at least I am, but just keep in mind I'm trying to develop my OC and her backstory while meshing with OP. Sometimes shit goes awry, sometimes it works perfectly. That's life yall. I do my best.
> 
> I also post this on FFN under the same name. 
> 
> One Piece characters belong to Oda. The ninja girl & associated shenanigans are mine.  
>  
> 
>  
> 
> WARNINGS: This fic contains graphic depictions of violence and very explicit sexual content. They gon' murder and frick. But seriously, pleaaase DM me with questions about these tags or if you feel I've left any warnings out so I can correct that asap.
> 
>  
> 
> I'd love to say otherwise, but this is a draft. Please excuse errors.

 

* * *

It was a fact of life for the Straw Hat crew that mornings often began with shouting and shrieking. While it didn't necessarily bode well, there was not often a real cause for concern.

Waking up to the shit-cook  _screeching_  from the galley wasn't particularly uncommon either, but it  _never_  had a happy ending.

Grumbling to himself as he half fell out of his bunk, Zoro made his way to the kitchen to see why the hell Sanji was being so goddamn extra this morning.

Zoro rounded on the galley, hanging in the doorway. He looked on passively as twirly-brow attempted to strangle the life out of their beloved, good-for-nothing captain.

The rest of the crew had already gathered to their usual places around the table, no one moving to interfere on Luffy's behalf, so Zoro simply took his own seat. It quickly became evident that Luffy, with his bottomless pit of an appetite, broke into the kitchen last night and ate through most of their stock. After their two years apart to grow stronger, it made sense that Sanji would need to update the locks accordingly.

Once Sanji's initial anger was blunted by the cathartic release of strangling Luffy, he set about assessing the damage and reallocating their supplies while he put together breakfast omelets.

Breakfast was a relatively quiet affair, since Luffy guiltily sulked and Sanji silently fumed.

Near the end of the meal, Sanji finally sat down and informed Nami that they needed stop and restock as soon as possible. As the blonde took a long drag of his cigarette, clearly trying to calm his nerves, Zoro actually refrained from insulting him for reacting so dramatically. The asshole took their nutrition so damn seriously.

Instead, he started a fight with the cook after breakfast by  _accidentally_  kicking him in the shin every thirty seconds while they scrubbed plates together. It didn't take long before Sanji was fully distracted and engaged in a spar with him.

After consulting her maps, Nami informed everyone that the Sunny would be making a detour to reach land later that afternoon. Apparently there was a small, inhabited island not so far away. It would take them several hours off their current course, but it was a lucky break nonetheless.

Sanji visibly relaxed.

Zoro set about training in the crow's nest to pass the time until they made landfall.

* * *

The island was indeed small, populated by hardly a few thousand people.

Everyone but Luffy and Nami disembarked. Luffy was essentially in time-out and on ship-watch duty, while Nami stayed behind to recalculate the timing of the Sunny's course given the unforeseen pit-stop.

In town, Zoro wandered through a maze of allies off the main market square, considering all the mixed smells and details of his surroundings except his direction or heading. Letting his senses draw him towards a seedy tavern that promised booze, a quiet but tense scene caught his one open eye.

Ahead of him, a man in a Marine uniform hulked over a smaller figure in an aggressive way, crooning words that Zoro wasn't yet close enough to hear. Though the smaller person wore a cloak, her legs and shape were definitely feminine, and it wasn't difficult to guess what the man was suggesting.

The woman faced away from Zoro, and her profile was further shadowed by a black cowl wrapped protectively around her head. He couldn't read her expression, but he didn't sense fear from the smaller woman.

He watched the muscular man again, noting his glassy eyes and unkempt appearance. He rolled his eyes—g _reat._

In Zoro's experience, a Marine that couldn't handle his booze was a real pain in the ass.

The slight female tried to side-step around the Marine with a stern, monosyllabic negative, but the drunk matched her sideways step to prevent her from passing by.

As Zoro came into ear-shot, he could hear the man's sloppy slur and trashy words.

"Wait, wait,  _waiiit!_  I hear the women around here  _looove_  military men! Now, come one. Show me some hospitality, pretty girl, and I'll maybe be gentle."

The woman didn't answer but yet again tried to step around the man, and the drunk mirrored her step, blocking her a second time, not taking no for an answer.

Surprising Zoro quite a bit, the female squared up to the much large Marine with a calm but hard voice.

"I said  _no_. Let me pass."

"Why don't you just make this easy and come along voluntarily. Be a good girl. Let me—"

The drunk marine slurred and leaned in to latch a paw onto her, but she pulled her shoulder back so he couldn't touch her. Her pitch dropped to downright menacing even as she sounded composed.

"Touch me and you die. Only warning."

Zoro's eyebrows climbed, because  _hell_ , the girl radiated hostile intent.

_A dangerous little thing, then._

He continued to observe the pair carefully as he made his way towards the tavern just beyond them. The drunkard had cornered the woman long enough that Zoro was only a few meters away now. Still, he felt no need to interfere; the girl was not in trouble.

 _Heh_ —couldn't say the same about the Marine though.

But when the drunk guy grabbed out more aggressively, Zoro noticed a slight catch to the female's actions as she dipped out of his reach then shoved the guy out of her way  _hard_.

She favored her left side in a funny way, like something was wrong with her shoulder or chest... Zoro's eyes focused harder and caught a glimpse of dark dampness to her cloak, across her left shoulder.

_Freshly injured?_

At any rate, the short exchange moved the two strangers directly into Zoro's path to the tavern.  _Faster to solve it himself._

"You're in the way, asshole." He muttered grumpily.

The big Marine turned to glare at Zoro but stopped short when he apparently recognized him. "Y-yo-you're pirate hunter Ror—!"

Zoro unceremoniously thwacked the drunk over the head with the flat part of his sword, knocking him out instantly as he complained. " _Che_. Marine scum."

He simply kept moving along toward the tavern, thinking of the booze.

The girl had taken a few steps to the side in a subtly defensive move, but Zoro finally looked to her as he passed. He could see her face now that she looked directly up at him. She watched him with amethyst eyes, all restrained mirth as she offered him a quick half-smile.

"Thanks."

Wisps of darker, violet hair peeked out of her hood to frame her face. Many small, silver rings lined the shell of right ear, which matched the dual hoops of her double-pierced nostril.

He smirked.  _Dangerous and cute._

"No problem." He waved off her thanks as he stepped over the unconscious drunk, still heading toward the bar.

Zoro left the girl behind, the prospects of a mug of booze and a meal soon overtaking his attention. He entered the sparsely crowded place and found a seat at the bar. After ordering food and rum, he rest his head on his hand, closing his eye for a short nap.

Purple and metal…

_Damn nice combination, in truth._

* * *

Zoro stirred when the barkeep dropped a heavy mug and plate in front of him. As he woke up and started to eat, he sensed a newly acquainted presence down the opposite end of the bar.

He subtly observed her in his peripheral. The same girl from earlier sat on a stool, back to the crowded room, distinctive hair still covered and cloak still in place. She simply ate and drank like every other patron, minding her own business, ignoring him and everyone else, so Zoro did the same.

After finishing his food, he languidly sipped his third mug of booze when the drunk Marine wandered into the tavern, apparently waking up with plans for revenge.

The dumbass quietly cursed Zoro's very own moniker, overall not doing a stellar job with the gutless sneak attack. Zoro didn't bother to react, knowing there was nothing to fear. The Marine drew a dagger, raised his arm, and sluggishly albeit accurately chucked it at the back of his head.

A second before Zoro would have tilted his head to avoid the pointy end of the incoming dagger, the purple-eyed girl from down the bar subtly flicked her wrist in his direction. Within the same moment he detected her slight movement, the distinct ring of metal on metal  _tinked_  right behind his head.

The marine's dagger jerked off course and embedded into the wall behind the bar, while a second metal object landed with a solid  _thunk_  in the neighboring bar-stool only inches from his thigh.

Zoro glanced at the girl, who calmly raised her mug to her lips like nothing happened.

The Marine retreated altogether, disappearing from the tavern without a fight.  _Tch_.  _Coward_.

He looked down at the small, odd weapon the mystery girl used to deflect the Marine's dagger. He noted the hollowed out, ringed pommel, the ridged but bare three-inch tang, and the lack of a cross-guard.

Palming the unique hilt and dislodging it from the bar-stool, he found the balance surprisingly hefty but comfortable and intuitive. The double-edged, five-inch blade was elongated and narrow like a dagger, but with sharpened central ridges on both sides that tapered toward the point. It looked more like an ax grind.

He'd never seen nor held a weapon like it.

_Yet..._

Zoro eyed the girl again, seeing her in light of her weapon, all shadowed and mysterious behind her hood. He recalled her earlier impression, when she threatened the Marine douche.

_Was she…_

The stranger finally cast him an appraising look as she stood and put a few notes on the bar-top.

"Nice blade, lady." He casually tossed her weapon to her but watched  _very_  carefully.

Her eyes didn't leave his as she deftly caught the odd weapon with a finger through the ringed pommel. The momentum of the toss caused it to spin rapidly around her index finger several times before she palmed the grip and slid it home into a small pouch around her thigh, with obvious second nature.

She  _was…?!_

"Decent aim, too." She pointed out, straight-faced but definitely bragging.

_Wha..._

She raised an eyebrow at his silence. " _You're welcome_."

His jaw dropped.  _No way!_

The girl turned and left, swiftly making for the exit. She ducked her chin to shadow her face from the few people in the crowd actually paying attention to their bizarre exchange.

Zoro cast one last glance over his shoulder as the mysterious, vaguely rude stranger left.

 _Did he just meet a fucking ninja_? _!_

* * *

Several mugs of booze later and many attempts to rid his brain of the maybe-a-ninja girl's face, Zoro figured it was time to meet up with the others on the Sunny. He threw some Beli on the bar as he gave a nod of thanks of thanks to the bar-keep, departing.

The town was small, and he had no worries about being late, so he strolled without hurry to the docks. When he reached the shoreline, first thing he noticed was that the Sunny was not where he left it.

_Why'd they move the ship? Was there trouble?_

Second thing he noticed was the Marine  _battleship_  that most definitely was not present earlier. He slowed, eyebrows knitting together.  _Uh-oh..._

"Tell us where the Straw Hats are hiding, and you'll get off easy." A Marine negotiated.

Zoro's attention snapped to the far end of the pier, where a small group of soldiers circled around something or someone. Worried it was a crewmate, he discretely made his way toward the group to catch a bit of the interaction.

For the third time that day, a now-familiar, feminine voice answered, controlled but irritated.

"I said it five damned times already—I don't know those pirates. I'm only trying to find passage to the next island."

 _Shit_.

Zoro continued to move in closer, unnoticed by the occupied Marines. Her words were probably true—she  _didn't_  know them, and she had a small travel pack across her back.

"You lying bitch… you know the Pirate Hunter! I saw you with him!"

Zoro recognized the man as the lewd drunk from the tavern.

_Double shit._

The mystery girl didn't help the situation as her patience obviously thinned. "I  _dare_  you to say that again, asshole."

Angered, the shitty Marine charged her with a sword, ignoring the commands of his superior to stand down.

The girl dodged, almost lazily, and used the Marine's own momentum to simply push him off the docks and into the ocean below.

Zoro snorted softly. Dangerous, cute, and  _insolent!_

Quickly, the other Marines were rushing her. She clearly out-classed them, but the girl also continued to favor her left shoulder again. She cradled her left arm against her side, obviously trying not to use it.

_She was definitely hurt._

The ninja struck down a few more men with scary precision, but fresh blood oozed down her left arm, aggravating whatever injury she had.

He didn't care to get involved, but it was at least partially his fault.

Ah, _hell_.

Zoro drew Shusui with his right hand and leapt into action, easily taking out the handful of remaining marines with a single projectile slash attack. Ninja-chick watched him carefully, apparently not surprised to see him but obviously weary as her gaze met his, assessing and unafraid.

_Had she so easily detected him despite being surrounded?_

The girl clutched a hand to her left shoulder, obviously trying to put pressure on her wound. She was bleeding at decent rated, with increasing pallor too. Still, she kept the pain off her face entirely.

"You don't look so good."

" _Wow._ " Her tone had a sarcastic bite despite her controlled countenance. "Aren't you astute."

He stepped forward and raised a hand to do...  _something_ , like help her apply pressure, but she leaned back and crouched a little lower, reminding him of a coiled snake. Zoro's hand dropped and he stopped moving. Though her attitude was entertaining, the girl wasn't fucking around—she was probably in survival mode.

"Our doctor could fix you up, if you want."

A noise in the distance took his attention. More Marines mobilized nearby. Looking at the girl again, the small blade from before was suddenly in her right hand.

_He hadn't even seen her draw it from that pouch?!_

"You can hitch a ride on our ship for free." He thought of Nami. "Free-ish."

She scoffed. "What a vulgar line."

"That's not— _ugh_ —don't be stupid!" He should walk away. It would be so much easier.  _Walk away, Zoro._ "We'll drop you at the next island, that's all."

Her eyes darted to the larger group of increasingly boisterous soldiers at opposite side of the docks before zeroing back in on him. "Or you could just get the hell out of my way. Now, let me pass."

She had her back to the end on the pier, and considering that swimming would probably be impossible with her bleeding shoulder, he inadvertently helped the Marines corner her. And now, droves of soldiers were getting hyped to charge at them.

_Ah, ha... Oops. Probably this didn't look great._

Still clutching Shusui in his right hand, he drew Sandai Kitetsu with his left, eye on the approaching Marines.

"I have to take care of these bastards, so just hang on a second." He bargained with the girl then looked back at her, chiding. "And  _really_ , don't be so difficult."

" _Difficult_?" Blood dripped off her left arm and pooled onto the ground by her feet. " _You're_  in  _my_  way, you shit pirate. I said fuck  _off!_ "

 _What a mouth!_  "You sure 'bout that? 'Cause—"

She cut him off by lunging at  _him_ , totally ignoring the inbound Marines!

"Are you kidding!?" He complained as he barely managed to block her stupid quick attack with Shusui.

As soon as their blades made contact, more blood suddenly surged down her left arm. Her eyes fluttered but she managed one last angry glare at him before she went slack. The damn ninja passed out mid-attack!

" _For fuck's sake_ …" He muttered, reaching out and simultaneously adjusting Shusui in his grip so he could catch her by her outstretched arm before she hit the ground.

Zoro carefully angled Sandai away from her and used his other hand to pry her weapon out her hand— _how was she still clutching it so tight?!_ —and carefully stow it behind his haramaki.

He had a feeling she'd put a hole in his carotid artery with her ninja-blade if she came-to.

In a smooth motion, he sheathed Sandai, wrapping his left arm around her torso to pull her against him and keep her somewhat upright as he decided what to do next.

"What's with you, purple?"

He was reluctant to keep involving himself, but the Marines were nearly on them, and there was no way in hell he could leave her with those bastard, bleeding and unconscious. Not when they were actually after him and his crew. Not when he knew Chopper wouldn't forgive him if Zoro left someone in need of emergency medical attention to bleed out.

Mind made up, he hoisted her slight frame over his left shoulder, her hot blood soaking his shirt and the smell overwhelming his senses for a moment.

With Shusui in his right hand, he turned to take care of the imminent soldiers and find out where the  _hell_  the Sunny went.

_How troublesome._


	2. Sailor's Mouth

* * *

 

Zoro circled through town, and after gaining  _much_  attention with an unconscious, bleeding woman slung across his shoulder, it was other Straw Hats that found  _him_.

Nami and Sanji led him the short distance to the Sunny, scolding him for not realizing there were  _two_  sets of docks and carrying on about the woman hemorrhaging on him.

"You are a lost cause! And what the hell did you do to that poor girl?!" Nami admonished.

"At least hand her over to me!" Sanji demanded, both concern and hearts in his eyes as he looked at the stranger. "You're as gentle as a gorilla!"

Zoro glared daggers at them as they ran. "Shut up, assholes—I didn't do anything wrong! Like hell I'd hand her to  _you_ , curly."

He ignored the worried look Nami and Sanji shared. For better or worse, the girl was his responsibility at the moment. Plus, if she woke and maimed anyone... Better Zoro than them.

As they made for the alleged second docks, Zoro disregarded the continuous insults and conerns from Sanji and Nami, instead concentrating on not jarring his passenger any worse than required. Her blood soaked the left side of his white tee-shirt so thoroughly that it was seeping into his haramaki, too.

They rounded to the right, hit the docks, and finally, the ship was in sight.

" _OOIIII_! CHOPPER!"

The reindeer appeared at the railing in just a few seconds.

"She's bleeding real bad!" Zoro warned the doctor from a distance. "Bright red, left shoulder!"

Chopper looked distraught but nodded resolutely and disappeared to make preparations.

Zoro tried not to knock ninja-girl around too much, but the Marines were on their tail, and he had to make quick work of boarding the ship. Nearing the end of the pier, he prepared to make a big jump for the deck of the Sunny by shifting the girl to cradle her in his arms in front of his body.

Zoro ran without hesitation, and mid-stride, launched himself off the dock and over the open water. He landed on his feet with a solid  _thud_ , trying to absorb the shock of his landing with his own frame.

Sanji and Nami were at his heels, landing safely on the Sunny's deck with their own reassuring  _thuds_.

Nami immediately barked commands at the crew to orchestrate their escape, Sanji jumped into the effort, and Zoro headed straight for Chopper's infirmary.

Once below, he laid the unconscious girl across the examination table, and per Chopper's orders, pulled her small travel pack off her back carefully so she laid flat. He laid absorbent rags under the table to stop her blood from spreading around the room any further.

Copper snapped on a pair of gloves and tentatively pulled her clothes off her shoulder for an initial inspection. It was a jagged, raw mess to Zoro's eyes, and even the kid hissed with concern.

"Zoro, go help the others first then come back to assist."

"I can't leave you alone with her. She's dangerous." Chopper glanced up to argue, but Zoro shook his head. "I'm staying, doc."

The kid set back to work, fully exposing her shoulder. Zoro's breath caught again at the extent of the damage. It featured some really crappy sutures that were now completely torn. It wasn't just superficial. He discerned a puncture or two.  _Ouch_. How desperate was she in order to put up a fight with an injury like that? And what in all hell landed her a wound like  _that_ in the first place?

Though he already had a good idea that she was on a different level, this girl was a different breed. She chose to fight, pain be damned, until she bled out as opposed to simply letting someone else take her down.

He'd underestimated her.

As Chopper raised a needle to her shoulder, she suddenly tried to open her eyes, blinking desperately against the harsh light of the clinic.

_How the hell is she conscious?!_

Her eyes focused on the needle, and her hand shot up to grab the kid's arm, stopping his progress albeit quite feebly. She cursed and struggled to sit up, pulling herself away from the syringe. "Wh-what the— _get the fuck off me!_  Where the hell am I?!"

She turned her delirious glare on Chopper, which set Zoro on edge and affirmed his decision to stay in the infirmary.

"Stop moving around, idiot. You're on our ship. He's the doctor I mentioned."

She took the bait and tore her attention away from Chopper to shoot daggers at Zoro, more lucid and  _disdainful_  than he expected!

"This raccoon is your doctor? Are you fucking high?"

Zoro snorted and scoffed at the same time.

" _Ugh!_ " Chopper transformed to Heavy point and stabbed her with the needle, muttering as he sunk the plunger down. " _I'm a reindeer!_  Please stop struggling. I'm here to help you."

Her focus turned back to Chopper, shocked that the kid  _spoke_ , changed forms,  _and_  managed to drug her. Realizing she lost this battle, she grit her teeth to fight Chopper's sedative as turned her distrusting eyes back on Zoroo, glaring at him with the same icy hate she'd directed at the drunk Marine.

"If you're lying, you better hope I stay dead."

A shiver ran down his spine, even if he didn't show it. She meant it—she'd wake up and murder him if anyone tried anything.

_He liked this girl_.

She passed out once again, eyes rolling back, body going limp.

His hand twitched to reach out and slow her unconscious descent, but Chopper caught her and eased her down to the table. He took his place by the doc, waiting for direction from the kid should he need support.

Annoyingly, the others had followed him to the infirmary. All but Brook, who was manning the helm, crowded into the room and doorway to peer at and comment on the purple-haired stranger.

"Oh, my. She seemed quite cross with you, Zoro." Robin was serene wise-ass as always.

" _OWW!_ " Franky was emphatic. "She still looks angry!"

Sanji somehow managed to be even more stab-able than usual. " _Gah_ , but she's still so  _pretty_ when she's mad! What lovely shades of lilac!"

"So, Zoro, why'd you stab her?" Luffy chirped curiously. "Did she spill your rum?"

"Wha—? I didn't stab anyone!" He considered his own words, face heating. "Err, directly."  _Flying slashes didn't count._

" _Aww, y_ ou  _liiike_ her! " Nami smirked wickedly, and Zoro felt his closed eye twitch. "You didn't need to fight and kidnap the poor girl just to get her attention. If you'd have just asked, I'd have helped you  _woo_  her!"

Luffy looked back and forth between the unconscious stranger and Zoro, tilting his head in confused curiosity. Zoro really hated that; Luffy's misunderstandings of adulthood were endless shenanigans for the younger crew and ammunition for the older crew.

" _Shut up, witch!_ " Zoro hissed at her but continued explaining  _again_. For the last damn time,  _she_  was killing  _herself_  trying to fight the Marines. I happened to be fighting the same Marines, so I brought her with me when I escaped. Chopper saves her. We leave her on the next island. End of the damn story!"

He turned his eye back to the unconscious girl as he warned the crew. "I think she's a ninja, and she's definitely dangerous. Stay on guard."

Luffy got stars in his eyes. "Oooh,  _cooool_! A ninja! Is she strong? Think she'd join our  _crew_!?"

"Wait… like, how dangerous?" Usopp inquired.

Zoro rolled his eyes. "The girl just dead ass death glared me as she passed out. What do you think, Usopp?"

Nami's jaw dropped. "Are you  _kidding_?! Why the hell did you bring someone  _scary_  onto the ship?!"

Luffy chanted excitedly. "Nin-ja-nin! Nin-ja-nin!"

" _Ugh!_  Dammit Luffy!" Nami lamented. "You can't just invite every weirdo who steps foot on this ship to join! Zoro, this is your fault! Go put her back!"

"Is she going to die? Or will she wake up and kill Zoro?" Robin wondered with a thoughtful laugh. " _Fufufu,_ how exciting."

Zoro mentally marked the moment as the one in which he absolutely  _knew_  the ninja girl was going to be a royal pain in the ass. He scowled as he watched her lax, pale face and metal piercings.  _Goddammit._ "She's not dying here."

"But she's still in bad shape, and a number of things could go wrong." Chopper gave a real answer, speaking sternly as he finally finished his preparations. "Zoro, are you washed up? Everyone else—out."

Zoro grunted confirmation as the others hushed and quickly dispersed. Robin and Sanji both retreated to the nearby galley, in earshot, should Chopper need more hands in the infirmary. The crew may have wanted to continue gawking at the stranger and harassing Zoro, but the doc was definitely in charge here.

Zoro stood by Chopper, occasionally fetching tools and clean rags as he told. Her shoulder was looking cleaner but not yet better. All the same, he felt some tension release as Chopper methodically worked. The girl didn't realize how lucky she was to have her messy injury treated by this kid.

Chopper obviously removed the girls head scarf and cloak so he could work on her, so Zoro cataloged her details, as was his habit.

He noticed her unique features outside that tavern, all varying heliotrope to his eyes.

_Yeah, that metal suited her._

A thin, azure-colored length of ribbon held back her long, wavy hair, tired in a simple bow just about shoulder level. The blue color stood out against the violet hues.

Her smooth skin was interrupted here and there with scars of different sizes and shapes. It didn't surprise him, since she was obviously adapted to fighting with blades, at least of a certain kind… Probably close range... And the way she had shrouded herself in shadows and cloth...The pouch strapped to her right thigh…

She was almost  _conspicuously_  ninja.  _Well, besides the hair bow_.

What was a small, ninja girl doing on her own, out in the world like this? As far as Zoro knew, ninja lived in highly exclusively, secretive societies on remote islands. And didn't they hide their identities when outside their own territories? Ninja didn't mix with non-ninja, if the stories were true.

He handed Chopper another roll of gauze, then stood back again and continued his observation.

She definitely wasn't primped and proper or dolled up at all. She dressed like, well, most female pirates and fighters. Her black tank-top was fitted and cropped, falling just above her navel… which was also double-pierced with thin silver hoops.

That damn metal in her  _skin_ …

Dark shorts sat high on her waist, accentuating strong, thick-muscled thighs. His eyes wandered slowly down the enticing curves of her legs, and back up…

He blinked and refocused his gaze on her face, guilt lighting him up and replacing the slow-burning attraction he'd let develop. She was definitely  _not_  expressly consenting. Instead, he fixed his eye on either her bloody injury or her slack face as Chopper worked.

After another hour, Chopper had her wound cleaned, closed up, and dressed. He leaned back with a sigh, glancing to Zoro for the first time since he began his work.

"Whew. You brought her here just in time. Her original injury missed her anterior humeral artery. But reopening and aggravating it had caused a tiny tear in it—hence the bright blood. Lucky girl. We should monitor her here for a while. Later, we can more her to a more comfortable place to sleep off the anesthesia and sedatives."

Zoro grunted to indicate understanding.

Chopper threw away the biomedical trash, and the two cleaned up his bloodied tools and themselves.

The kid's eyes were innocent as he made conversation with Zoro. "Is she really that dangerous?"

Zoro regarded him seriously. "M'afraid so."

Chopper's distraught expression made Zoro amend. "But she's injured and probably not an enemy. We just need to be careful until we can talk to her."

After they washed up, Zoro sat back in one of the chairs on the far wall while Chopper made notes on what was presumably the mystery girl's condition. Zoro's eyes drooped with fatigue.

A cat-nap was in order.

* * *

Chopper's hoof knocked on Zoro's temple, rattling his skull to wake him.

"I'm moving the girl to a more comfortable place. She's been stable for quite some time, but I'm going to keep watch for a while longer."

Zoro stood, stretching with a big yawn. " _Aaahhhhh_. Nah, let me do that. I brought her on board, after all. I'll keep an eye on her."

Not waiting for an answer, Zoro scooped her up with one arm under her shoulders and the other behind her knees.

Chopper furrowed his eyebrows. "Wow Zoro. I usually have to remind you to be careful."

Zoro pretended he didn't hear that as he carried the girl through the Sunny.

He put her down in his bunk, since the men's quarters was devoid of anyone else and thus quiet. She took a shuttering breath, so he tossed a random blanket over her…  _which didn't happen if no one saw it_.

He put his back against a nearby wall and slid down to his ass with a sigh.

Zoro let consciousness come and go, half napping to conserve energy, half meditating to stay aware.

It wasn't so much that he thought the girl would actually murder  _everyone_  first and ask questions second. Probably just him.

Despite refusing his offer of passage on the Sunny, he brought her aboard anyway, and she'd be unhappy at best. The stubborn stranger could hitch a ride back to the previous shit-town where they met, if she truly wanted to go back. Taking her was better than leaving her with those Marine bastards.  _Surely_  she'd agree, if she wasn't all sour grapes about being plain wrong.

He recalled her promise of ' _if you're lying,'_ blah blah…

_Heh_.

* * *

After a few hours, Usopp reluctantly relieved Zoro of guard duty so he could get some dinner in the galley. Really, Zoro should have been expecting Nami's digs.

"So, does your girlfriend have a name?" She teased the minute he step foot in the room.

" _Shuddup_." He grumbled. "I have no idea."

"How nice of you to give up your bunk." She practically sang. "Instead of putting her in one of the spare cabins."

The tips of his ears warmed. "You're such a nosy  _asshole_! It's not like—"

Zoro leaned forward to dodge the kick Sanji threw at the back of his head as he squawked.

"Don't you  _dare_  speak to Nami-swan like that, you shithead!"

Before he could rebuff and finally kill the shit-cook, Luffy stretched his arms from the other end of the table and wrapped his dumb, rubbery hands around Zoro's shoulders, shaking him roughly and commenting far too happily.

"You look so mad, Zoro!  _Shishihi_  why?! Shouldn't you be happy? Chopper saved your new friend, right?!"

"Let go, you damn lemur!" Zoro wrestled his captain off him as he stood, bitching out his friends as he stomped away without having a single bite of food.

He trained in the crow's nest before relieving Usopp. Annoyed beyond all belief with his damn crew mates, he needed the methodical distraction.

After, Zoro returned to the men's quarters, grumpily dismissed Usopp, and napped against the wall again.

Night fell, but the ninja didn't wake.

Life aboard the Sunny went on as usual, despite that the guys were all forced to sleep out on the deck since they had a female guest who would be deeply disturbed by their foul smells and noisy snores.

* * *

The middle of the night brought the muted sounds of someone wrestling fabric followed by a quiet but sharp hiss of pain.

Zoro shook his head as he watched her fight her blanket then sit up suddenly and none too carefully. Her head whipped around, immediately finding his dark form in the moonlit cabin.  _Observation haki?_

"Keep that up, and you'll tear your stitches.  _Again_."

"This ship is moving. Where the hell are you taking me?"

He detected a little fear in her voice, but it was gone by the time she is finished speaking, so she just sounded  _pissed_. Zoro casually leaned his head back against the wall again but kept his eye on hers as he answered.

"Dunno. You'll have to ask our navigator, the red-head. The Marines chased us off the last island before we could put you down." He explained. "You're not a prisoner, y'know. Relax. If we were gonna do anything shitty, it'd have happened already."

" _Dammit_." She was quiet a few beats, still taking in her surroundings.

She slowly turned her glare to Zoro again. "I should drown you—I  _told_  you I didn't want to board your shitty ship."

He righted his head again, effectively baited but entertained by her threat. It wasn't entirely empty.

"Well, isn't that just too damn bad. I didn't feel like leaving you with the Marines."

They continued to watch each other wearily in the dark before she finally spoke again.

"Why not?"

He made a confused face. "Why not what?"

Her eyes remained trained on him. "Why  _not_  leave me with the Marines?"

"I don't make a habit of letting the Marines do whatever they want. Especially not while dragging our name through the mud." He sniffed resentfully. "And there's nothing you can do about it until we stop again, so un-bunch your panties and chill out."

She didn't respond for beat, but then simply laid back again, speaking all nonchalant but obviously totally irritated. "You could be less of an asshole about it all, you know."

Zoro bit back a grin, entirely amused with her reactions. He threw her words back at her.

" _You're welcome_ , by the way."

She pretended not to hear, but he could have sworn he heard her teeth grind together.

Zoro let his eyes fall closed as settled down again. He listened to the sounds of the sea and the breathing of the ninja who pretended to sleep. For once, he actually refrained from napping or getting lost in meditation, obviously because he didn't want to be executed in the assassination she was definitely considering.


	3. Standoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro had a bad habit of making things worse for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

 

* * *

After the ninja actually fell asleep, Zoro dozed too, figuring they both needed a little rest. But next thing he knew, it was morning, and his bunk was empty.

_Shit._

Reassured by the fact that the stranger hadn't outright murdered him, maybe she wasn't causing  _too_ much trouble for the crew.

Zoro stood and stretched, making his way out of the men's cabin and toward the usual sounds of discord coming from the galley. He could already hear the whiney cajoling of Sanji.

Of fucking _course_  the goddamn  _love-cook_  would be all over such a cute girl.

He trudged in to see the young crew, and naturally, Franky, eating and arguing and laughing like normal. Nami read a paper and simultaneously scolded Luffy for hell knows what. Robin silently greeted Zoro with a friendly smile before turning her eyes back to Brook, who was telling her about some adventure with his old crew. Finally, lo and fuckin' behold, the shit-cook hovered near their newest passenger, describing the food he prepared with hearts in his eyes.

A pair of lavender eyes flicked over to meet Zoro's gaze, probably wondering why the hell he stopped in the doorway like a dumb shit instead of sitting down.

A strange tightness coiled in his gut. Her look left him…  _unsettled_. He frowned harder at purple-girl.

The intensifying moment broke when Luffy cheered at Zoro. "Morning sleepy head  _shishishi_  your hair is hilarious!"

He scrubbed at his bed-head and quickly looked away from the girl. "You pigs leave anything for me?"

Sanji pointed towards the counter at a plate of food without even a glance to him.

Zoro collected his plate and sat heavily in his usual spot at the end of the table, directly across from ninja girl.

"And why are you feeding me?" The ninja questioned twirly-brow with obvious suspicion. "For free?"

"Because all beautiful ladies deserve a perfectly balanced meal prepared with the utmost care and love. And you were injured, so you need energy!"

The cook was far too gentle with her, sitting nearby but not too close, voice soft but not condescending. Nami glanced at Zoro then back to her paper. Fortunately, she left him alone and addressed their new friend instead.

"Look at his face—you really think that guy is capable of doing something shady?" Nami encouraged. "Nothing to fear here. So go ahead, dig in!"

She didn't even trust the  _shithead cook_ , of all people?

Zoro looked up to see new girl's response to Nami, which read ' _well, you have a point..._ '

She picked up her spoon to taste the food, and after a second, her stoic attitude melted a fraction. "This is really good. Thank you, Sanji."

"SEE! I told you Sanji's food is the best!" Luffy sang around a mouthful of chewed food.

The pervert looked ready to die happy at the ninja's words, too. "You're most certainly welcome, Fiore- _chwaan_! There's plenty more too, so— _GODDAMMIT Luffy stop_!"

Sanji chastised their captain for stealing food from across the table, but Zoro's attention was still riveted on the girl looking marginally more comfortable among his crew.

Fiore...  _Fiore_? What the hell kinda ninja name was that?!

Zoro felt… jumpy. And clammy. Frazzled. All reactions that Zoro didn't understand.  _Why was he so out of it?_

People didn't  _affect_  Zoro, other than to piss him off. He wasn't like the damned cook. Strangers—attractive, dangerous, or otherwise—didn't affect  _Zoro_. Not even mysterious ninja with body piercings  _godfuckingdammit_.

_Ugh_! Who  _was_  this girl?

Zoro's eyes remained resolutely fixed on the woman across from him as he automatically shoveled bites of eggs into his face, determined to confront and  _prove wrong_  his strange mental state. She may be attractive, but he was getting his wires crossed…

His intuition flickered, and his mind stilled— _something else about the girl bothered him_.

_Fiore_  ate with a forced slowness, clearly skeptical about the others' intentions.

_Fiore_  relaxed a tiny fraction as she listened to Sanji sing about the importance of a good breakfast, especially for beauties like her. She shared look with Nami that non-verbally asked ' _is he serious_ ' as Sanji crooned at her, a little bit of camaraderie already forming between the women.

_Fiore_  observed the feeding frenzy of the younger crew, probably realizing they were relatively harmless at the moment too. But she looked calculating as she studied Luffy, like his easiness wasn't honest.

Despite that she wasn't outright  _hostile_ , there was still an eerie chill around her. The way she watched her surroundings irked him…

_Why the hell was she so damn cagey?_

The longer he watched her, the more uncomfortable he felt. She wasn't violent, yet…

Agitating under his stare, the girl finally looked to him again. A faint lightness replaced the critical spark in her gaze and, unexpectedly, she offered  _him_  a tentative half-smile, just like outside that tavern the previous day.

For reasons unrelated to his nagging sixth sense, Zoro's lungs ceased function.

_W-what was her game_? Was she trying to distract him? Make him complacent? He was  _unnerved_  as flames bloomed under his skin and his face heated.

She glanced down at her food, almost shy, releasing Zoro from her gaze.

_This… was… INFURIATING!_ How could he figure her out if she looked at him like  _that_?!

Feeling his ire, she looked up through her lashes, visibly more wary again.

All he could do was glare in confusion.  _What the fuck was her problem_?! Was she trying to throw him off from her strange demeanor? Did she had an unknown devil-fruit power and was using it now, unseen?

_Fiore's_  shoulders tightened back up. The slight softness in her features completely vanished. She was perceptibly distrusting again as she met his stare, any hint of shyness and openness gone. That creepy chill overtook her again.

Luffy suddenly interrupted, looking between the two. "Hey, Zoro, you don't look so good. Are you feeling sick?"

Nami interjected, too "Something the matter, moss ball? You look meaner than usual."

A tense quiet settled over the table as Zoro and Fiore continued their stare down, hackles raised.

"Didn't I warned you guys about her?"

Fiore's eyes flashed with emotion, but it was fleeting and swiftly replaced with cold indifference.

" _Zoro_." Robin's chide was ignored.

The ninja's tone cut. "I'll  _behave_ , despite your shitty manners,  _asshole_."

" _Tch_." Acting all snubbed, like  _she_  wasn't messing with  _him_  just a second ago? "I knew I should have walked away and left you with the Marines."

" _Okay marimo,_ too cranky, even for you. So help me, I will come over there and kick your damn mouth shut." Sanji was already half out of his chair with the threat.

"Don't worry." The ninja icily reassured Zoro, ignoring the cook entirely. "First stop, and I'm gone."

"Fiore, just ignore whatever shade he throws when he's making that face. He's not a morning pirate." Nami turned on him with an angry hiss. " _Stop being a dick_!"

The ninja shrugged with feigned disinterest even as she stared daggers at him. She stood and stepped away from the table, finally breaking their stare-down.

"Sanji. Thanks for the food, but I need to go out to the open deck. It's been a while since I travelled by ship, and I get seasick. Luffy, thanks for the ride—I promise I won't be a burden while we sail to the next island."

Her tone was tight as a bowstring, and her impassive mien was fake as hell.

The stranger turned to Zoro, and despite that expressionless visage, waves of chilly hate rolled off her. She looked to be deciding if she'd kill him or not.

His hand grabbed for Shusui, only to remember he'd left his swords in the men's cabin.

W _ould she really fight—_

The girl subtly threw her chin in the air. " _Go fuck yourself, you shit-stain pirate._ "

She strode away resolutely, pushing through the galley door as if she meant to rip it off its hinges, out of sight immediately.

Zoro watched after her with his jaw on the floor, not sure what fucking part of it made him the maddest!

The others had choice word for him. He didn't bother to hear Sanji's continuous stream of threats and insults, nor Usopp's comments about Zoro's lack of manners. Franky and Nami could blow their concerns about ' _chasing her off_ ' out their asses.

Zoro didn't care about anything they said at the moment. He shoveled his food into his face as he thought about the girl.

A few minutes later, Sanji cleared the table and  _tisked_  when he picked up Fiore's plate full of wasted food.  _Ugh_. The shit-cook was seriously going to put his cigarette out in Zoro's eye. Actually wanting to avoid confrontation with the dumbass, he stomped off to the crow's nest. Zoro kept a subtle but close eye on the ninja while he trained, pushing himself until sweat dripped down his body.

As usual, throwing around a fuckload of weights helped him work out his thoughts.

Attraction notwithstanding, there  _was_  something strange about that girl,  _Fiore_ , even if the others didn't notice.

She was a fucking contradiction, acting stone-cold with those burning eyes.

* * *

Despite Zoro's apprehension, the day passed without further incident.

The ninja took up residence atop a large crate on the deck of the Sunny, back against the ship but out in the open.

From her perch,  _Fiore_  stoically watched the water for the afternoon. She moved to help with essential tasks—a sail to be furrowed or a fish to be netted—but given her injury, there wasn't much the others let her do for them. So, she simply leaned against the ship's railing or sat atop that big crate on the side of the ship, eyes always on the horizon, expression carefully neutral.

The ninja didn't show up at the table for lunch, and after cleaning up, Sanji took her a plate of food.

Zoro eavesdropped from where he napped, but only to get a better read the girl's intentions. Despite his frustration, Zoro didn't really care if  _Sanji_  got murdered or not. He made a good first test-subject.

She accepted the food with stiff thanks but told Sanji she didn't need much while she sailed with them. The cook disagreed, but she redirected the conversation with compliments of his food and questions about himself. Sanji let himself be led, eventually telling her about the All Blue, which had stupid  _Fiore_  smiling tentatively again. Shitty twirly-brow looked too pleased with himself and in love, per usual, as the ninja's coldness ebbed a bit.

Zoro stubbornly held on to his disquiet from breakfast, unable to forget the intensity of his reaction to the dangerous girl.

Nami eventually talked her into a bath and change of clothes, since she still had dried blood on her shirt and cloak. The red-head chattered happily at the girl, excited they could share clothes, even if the ninja was shorter by many inches. If Zoro had to guess, he'd say the girl looked low-key relieved to be clean again, wearing Nami's black shorts and short, white tee-shirt. Zoro's eye got caught on her navel, which was pierced twice with those silver hoops, but he absolutely forced down his attraction.

Throughout the rest of the day and evening, each crew member besides Zoro made it a point to be friendly and chat with their strange passenger.

At some point, Brook, Usopp, and Franky convinced her to take a tour of the ship, describing to her its unique features and where she would find certain supplies.

Zoro didn't think it was appropriate at  _all_ to show  _Fiore_  around the Sunny, but the damage was done by the time they appeared topside again. And before he could scold the idiots, captain rubber-brain derailed things when he unceremoniously leapt at the girl.

Luffy, in fact,  _bounced_  into the ninja's face.

She only faintly physically recoiled from his sudden proximity, but her tension was palpable. She was obviously prepared for Luffy to turn on her at any moment despite his stupid grin.

_Like a damn coiled snake again_.

Their captain, for his part, totally ignored the energy from the girl, like she wasn't suspicious to the point of paranoia.

"Fior...  _Fiiii_!  _Hahahah_  Fi is better!" He immediately gave her a nickname. "Are you  _reaaally_  a ninja, like Zoro says?"

Fiore remained uneasy but raised an eyebrow at the captain's informal nature. "Well, I'm not a pirate, that's for damned sure."

"You  _look_  like a ninja, but you have sea legs like us!" Luffy teased happily. " _Shishishi_ , are you  _suuure_ you're not a pirate?"

"Ninjas are  _supposed_  to have good balance." She pointed out, but her offense at his question overrode some of her uneasiness, a quiet but disdainful scoff escaping her lips. "And do I  _smell_  like a pirate to you?"

" _Ah!_  I don't know!" He looked startled for a beat before he sniffed himself. "Wait a second… What do pirates smell like?"

"Rotting seaweed." Her wary countenance finally broke enough to reveal a small, defiant grin. "And failure."

When anyone else would get ticked, Luffy grinned even wider, waving it off easily. ""Oi, oi,  _oiiii_! Stick around long enough, and you'll have to take that back—there's not a failure on our Sunny. And I'm going to be the pirate king!"

His cheerful, emphatic declaration had the ninja's eyes wide, but she recovered. "Exactly  _how_ do you plan to become the pirate king?"

"We're gonna find the One Piece." He revealed with a scheming cackle. " _Heheh_ , before anyone else!"

She still eyed him carefully but didn't look so totally edgy now. "How long you been a pirate, kid?"

" _Mmmhhh_ about three years? I've been dreaming of it since I was like seven!"

"Only three…" She pursed her lips slightly. "So, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to be the pirate king?"

"Because the pirate king has the most freedom of everyone." He grinned again. "I'm gonna take the One Piece and keep doin' whatever the hell I want  _shishishi_!"

"Well, fresh hell." She sized him up, as if seeing him in a new way. "You got me there—that  _is_  appealing."

Despite her devil's advocate attitude and subdued responses, the ninja was definitely taken with his captain's worldview. Luffy and Fiore continued to chat, but she deflected all his questions about herself. Luffy simply tolerated it, unperturbed.

Finally, he hit upon a question she seemed willing to answer when the captain's childlike side emerged again.

"What it's like being a ninja! What's in that pouch on your leg! Nin-ja! Nin-ja! NIN-JA! NIN-JA!"

"Definitely less… loud." She hedged, cringing as Luffy's incantation got louder. "Is all that shouting really necessary?"

His chants got the attention of Chopper and Usopp, too. They were all endlessly curious about the weapons she pulled from her thigh pouch. She showed them her ' _kunai'_  and ' _shuriken_ ,' as it were, which put stars in their eyes.

Zoro definitely didn't give a shit about her weapons, not even the kunai she'd practically flung at the back of his head.  _Not a single fuck_ ,  _goddammit_.

Franky, Brook, and Sanji still managed to gawk despite their efforts to tone down their interest in the ninja fuckery. Still, they gave Fiore space, probably because she seemed quickly exhausted by the younger trio.

Naturally, Luffy whined at her a few times to join the crew, and she gently but firmly declined.

If Zoro was paying attention— _which he wasn't, not really, only as much as needed to protect his friends_ —he'd guess she was disappointed to turn down Luffy's offer, even if her tone suggested that she was utterly certain of her answer and didn't even  _like_  pirates.

Nami eventually saved the ninja girl, sending the young crew to do some chores and cleaning.

After that, the day wore on, uneventful.

The ninja didn't join the crew at dinner that night either, but  _whatever_ —Zoro's life would be easier if she just withered away anyway. And when Sanji brought her food again that night, she insisted he stop trying to feed her so often. The shit-cook would obviously do no such thing, and she eventually gave up trying to convince him.

After dinner, Robin chatted with the girl about some familial blood-rite she read that ninja practiced. Fi managed to surprise the book-worm with her willingness to actually converse about the topic. She never gave anyway any personal details, but the girl seemed willing to divulge some of the the social structures of ninja society.

As night fell, Chopper insisted on examining the skin around her sutures before they all turned in for the night. Surprisingly, the kid was more restrained in this context and was clearly trying to put the girl at ease as he examined her, moving slowly and purposefully.

Zoro could chalk it up to Chopper's medical training, but it wouldn't surprise him if the kid picked up that Fiore had issues beyond her shoulder injury. It was obvious to Zoro that the girl actively had to resist pulling away from anyone who got too close, including the doctor. It was that exact behavior that made Zoro nervous for her to be around the others at all.

The ninja also declined Nami's invitation to share the women's bedroom or take the empty cabin while she was their guest. The girl said she preferred the open air, if it was all the same to them.  _Good—_ Zoro would have objected to her staying in closed quarters with Nami and Robin anyway.

It wasn't long until the others went to bed for the night. Zoro insisted on taking Franky's night-watch shift.

To her limited credit, Fiore—or  _Fi_ , since the others already adopted Luffy's nickname _—_ really did behave. That didn't mean Zoro trusted her. No chance he'd take his eyes off her while his friends slept. Not with the way she scrutinized them. Not with the way she watched Luffy, the far too relaxed idiot.

Unlike his captain, the ninja's muted distrust and paranoia made Zoro  _itchy_.

* * *

After a few days of the ninja's civil but standoffish behavior, it was obvious that she purposely distanced herself as much as possible.

Fiore returned conversation, but she never sought anyone out and remained evasive. She was present but withdrawn, and for some unknown reason, her non-participation irritated Zoro more than her half-twitchy, compulsive suspicion. He could practically  _see_  the quips and off-hand comments on the tip of her tongue, but she often swallowed her first reactions and instead responded to the others with good-mannered reserve. That indifferent mask of hers did  _not_  suit the charge in her eyes sparked by the other Straw Hats.

_Why?_  It was clear she  _liked_  the others, but she refused to become friends with any of them! It's not like the others shared his leeriness.

It was also particularly obvious that  _Fiore_  wanted absolutely nothing to do with  _Zoro_. She cleared out of an area whenever he appeared.  _Good_. He  _wanted_  her to stay out of his way, too! But, despite her obvious dislike of him, he still ended up with mixed emotions. She probably muddled him with her shitty ninjutsu or whatever, 'cause he was starting to feel like maybe she  _wasn't_ so horrible. That damn expression on her face whenever she came within twenty feet of him was especially exasperating. He was tired of seeing cold fortitude when she obviously wanted to tell him off, probably all fiery and foul again.  _Heh_.

More concerning for the  _entire_  crew, himself included, was that the damn ninja girl refused to go below deck more than necessary, to neither eat nor sleep. In fact, it didn't look she ate or slept at all, if her slowly thinning face and the darkening circles under her eyes were any indication.

The others felt sorry for her, but for Zoro, her insistence on self-deprivation despite her still-severe injury was becoming absurd and did  _not_ improve his view of her stability.

One afternoon, Zoro overheard Fi tell Sanji that she wasn't hungry, even as he practically  _begged_  that she come eat a full, proper meal in the galley. It was  _really_  getting under his skin, only because the others still blamed him for the girl's distance. So, he sucked up his discomfort and stomped over to her right before dinner time.

"Come eat." Zoro demanded without preamble. "You're being stubborn."

"I'm fine, thanks." Fiore didn't look at him but continued to look towards the horizon. Her voice had a dead chill to it that he didn't like at all.

He narrowed his eyes at her easy dismissal, trying a different route. "You're causing stress for Sanji."

"I think he'll live."

"Well, you look like shit."

" _Thanks._ "

Zoro frowned at her profile—she didn't even bother to look at him! "Come on—one meal to shut 'em up."

"You realize your ship is stocked to feed nine people, not ten, right?"

_Wha... Ugh! Still infuriating_! "Well, what a surprise. Not sure why I bothered  _again_."

No matter how well she contained her reactions, Zoro excelled at reading non-verbal cues, like the slight pink on her cheeks and quick flash of emotion in her gem eyes.

_Dammit_.

He closed his eyes and took a breath, but when he opened his eyes and mouth to try again, she was already walking away, rounding the corner and out of sight in a few beats.

Zoro didn't get the chance to say anything else.

* * *

The next day, Nami announced it'd be a handful of days before they reached the next island.

Life wore on for the Straw Hats, but still, Fi argued with Sanji about not being hungry at meals. She continued to insist to Nami that she was fine to sleep above deck. She maintained that careful distance from everyone, but still most of all Zoro. The little thing hadn't even bothered to  _look_  in his direction again—not  _once!_

It was, surprisingly,  _Chopper_  who finally broke the ninja's streak of polite indifference. The doctor insisted that it was time to check on Fi's shoulder injury more thoroughly—he needed to clean and redress it. She had a hard time arguing with his medical logic but continued to refuse extra care, saying he already did enough.

After too much back-and-forth, Chopper finally lost his patience. He transformed to Heavy Point to  _physically_  carry her away despite that he had been coddling her until that point.

"I warned you!" He hollered as he moved to pick her up. "This is for your own good!"

But instead of dodging, Fi tensed as if she was preparing to strike back.

Zoro's hand automatically went to the hilt of Shusui, ready to interfere.  _Did Chopper have a death wish_?! He may be strong, but there wasn't a chance in  _hell_  the little reindeer could truly make that girl do anything against her own will, injured or not.

Despite that her body language read  _homicidal_ , instead of maiming Chopper, the girl froze as the doctor picked her up, like she couldn't believe he actually followed through.

Even when Chopper threw her over his shoulder, Fi's grip on his fur was…  _careful_.

Much to Zoro's surprise, she remained completely  _harmless_  even if she was obviously freaked out.

"Okay,  _okay!_ Fine—I'll come with you—just put me down _! Please_." Her voice was tight and breathless as she conceded.

Chopper relented, putting her on her feet again, watching her sternly. "I'll give you one more chance."

Fi followed Chopper to the infirmary of her own accord, looking as dignified as a wet cat. The girl literally shook herself once all over, like she was trying to throw off water, as she quietly bitched.

"Can't believe… Aren't deer  _docile_?"

Luffy was cackling like an idiot and the others laughed at the fact that Chopper was a medical force that not even a ninja could deny.

Zoro's hand fell from his sword, but he felt  _ill_. He had come to see the ninja like an injured animal—one that wouldn't attack unless provoked. He expected her to be more… deranged. Unhinged.

Now, he wasn't so sure what to think of the ninja.

* * *

In the infirmary, Fiore resisted the urge to continue shaking off the psychosomatic stress of having Chopper man-handle her.

It wasn't that she didn't trust the doctor by now. He'd worked on her before, and she actually liked the kid. But, her stress wasn't about him; sometimes these things happened to her. Sometimes her reactions were disproportionate, and other times they were normal. Sometimes a touch felt like fire in her veins, and sometimes it didn't. Sometimes she had a reaction, and sometimes she didn't.

She was simply caught off-guard by the sudden and full-bodied contact this time.

There was no danger. No mal-intent. Just Chopper, the kind little reindeer who now directed her to sit on the infirmary bed and hold still as he flitted about, washing up and setting out his supplies.

Close by, she heard elephant-like boot-steps, the slap of sandals, and muted squeaks from boat shoes as a few Straw Hats shuffled into the galley next door. Sanji chastised the other two as they lobbied for meat and booze.

Fiore concentrated on her breathing as the doctor poked and prodded her shoulder.

No fire, no burning. No surprise acid in her veins. If there was any pain because of her injury, it just didn't register with her.

After a while, Chopper spoke tentatively.

"I'm sorry about being rough earlier. But, out at sea like this… I  _have_  to keep such a severe, deep injury clean. It's my  _duty_. On top of that, you're too exposed to the elements  _and_  not eating properly."

"Thank you for the concern, but this is nothing. I'm  _trained_  for physical stress like this."

His eyes remained on his work. "Ninja training?"

"Yeah."

"Does this training have anything to do with your anxiety?"

"Um…" She wasn't entirely sure how to answer. "Anxiety?"

"You seem pretty stressed sometimes." He continued lightly. "Even if you look calm."

"Isn't that normal?" She hedged. "Everyone gets stressed."

"Yeah, you're right." He continued his methodical work. "How about your aversion to physical contact? Does that have anything to do with ninja training?"

She pressed her lips together, suddenly aware of the fact that the doctor probably already diagnosed her. And suddenly, she felt a good deal worse. "Something like that."

He turned, grabbed clean gauze, then zeroed back in on his work, trying to distract her with different conversation. "Well, whoever stitched you up before shouldn't ever be allowed to practice medicine again, least not before a whole lot more training!"

His distraction worked, and Fiore let her guard drop a little again, caught off guard by his comment. "It was that bad?"

Chopper nodded. "'Yup. They were totally amateur."

She couldn't completely fight the need to defend herself. "Well, I  _am_  completely untrained. I did my best!"

He paused his work and leaned back to look at her fully. His jaw dropped as he watched her face, seeing that she was not joking.

" _Are you freaking serious?!_ "

She winced at his loud shriek but nodded.

"I had a sewing needle in my bag thankfully, but I… only had… fishing... line." She shrugged lamely, seeing his indignation and disapproval.

Chopper looked ready to burst. He paused to take a deep breath then launched into a piercingly shrill lecture her on how ' _wrong and irresponsible… wah wahh wah_.'

Fi nodded along, taking the lecture with concealed amusement but some genuine remorse—for making the doctor upset enough to scold her so  _noisily_. Pirates were garish anyway, but this crew took the whole shitty cake.

The Straw Hats were the damned  _loudest_ people she'd  _ever_  met.

Why did everything need to happen  _at full volume_?

Luffy's head appeared in the doorway, clearly stretching his neck from where his body was in the adjoining galley. "Whacha yelling for, Chopper?"

Chopper explained the problem to Luffy, exasperated. Much to the doctor's dismay, his captain hooted with laughter, yelling out with deafening volume to the swordsman despite that the man was also the galley right next door.

"HEEEEY,  _ZOROOO_! Did ya hear that? Your girlfriend gave herself stitches! THAT'S SO BADASS!  _SHISHISHI_! Ninjas are coooool!"

Naturally, the rest of the crew started cackling like hyenas from various location around the ship.

Luffy's rubbery neck and head dodged suddenly to avoid a lazy but deadly flying slash attack. The captain laughed while the swordsman chased him out to the deck, only after Sanji scolded the ' _uncivilized moss monkey_ ' and the ' _rubber baboon_ ' for fighting in the galley. Out on the desk, Franky could be heard tearing into Zoro for risking a projectile attack as the swordsman continued to attempt decapitating his captain.

Chopper worked quietly for a few more minutes but finally finished redressing her wound, giving her a big smile and a pat on the leg.

Before Fiore could escape attention entirely, Nami appeared in the doorway and requested Fiore's assistance in the map room. She thanked Chopper as she hopped up to follow Nami. The navigator chatted idly with Fiore about their current heading and timetable for making landfall. But eventually, Nami's tone changed, and she tentatively questioned Fiore.

"So… you like it here on the Sunny?"

The considered the question. "Despite the unrelenting screaming, I do, yeah."

"Sooo… Why not stay for a while then? Get comfortable and actually relax!"

_Damn._  Fiore suspected a conversation like this may occur, and she planned to avoid it entirely.  _Too late_. "I'm not sure it's the best fit for everyone."

"It would be a  _perfect_  fit—we all really like you being here! And don't worry about the idiot moss ball. He just doesn't know what to do with himself when he's around you. Plus, he's  _always_  grumpy. That's, like, his  _Thing_ , yanno?"

"Even so." Fire shrugged and kept her expression neutral as always, even if she admitted what bothered her. "His resentment for me is real."

"Zoro has no people skills. Who  _cares_  what that asshole thinks?" Nami shook her head in exasperation, voice climbing a few decibels before she calmed herself down again. "Regardless, why let him bother you?"

"He technically saved my life." Fiore answered in a quiet voice. "I wouldn't repay him with such ingratitude as remaining when I'm unwelcome."

"He'd treat him own mother like that! It doesn't mean you shouldn't stay with us!" Nami pressed. "Maybe you could talk to him and see for yourself."

"I appreciate what he did, but I don't need..." Fi looked away as she thought about what really got under her skin; i _t was always the same thing_. Keeping her face neutral, she waved it off. "He doesn't want me here, and I'm not going to chase after him."

"I really think you should reconsider staying for a while. At least until your stitches are all better!" Nami groaned. "Robin and I like having another woman on board!"

"Sorry, Nami. I'm not going to change my mind."

Fiore forced a small smile for her, because she liked the fiery redhead, and excused herself.

The conversation left a bad taste in the ninja's mouth. Nami would soon probably join the swordsman's point of view about her, anyway. It was inevitable. Anyone who spent enough time with Fiore always ended up looking at her like her very existence was wrong. Just like Zoro looked at her. Something was wrong with her, and the other Straw Hats would soon share his opinion that she needed to leave.

She retreated to the deck to stay out of the way and in plain sight, hating that she felt she had to make herself nonthreatening.

* * *

Nami watched after the purple-haired girl, thinking that maybe she'd kill Zoro herself in order to convince Fi to stay.

Trade one nakama for another, much cuter one. One that could share clothes with her and have actual, intelligible conversations without monosyllabic grunting.

_Sigh_.

She needed to knock some sense into Zoro, who was being remarkably idiotic even for him, protectiveness notwithstanding. And she needed to figure what else held Fi back.


	4. Bring Sally Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's my attempt to write some action... woot :P

 

* * *

The following day brought an enemy ship into range; one that clearly underestimated the Straw Hats.

The incoming ship boldly sailed directly towards the Sunny, firing cannons as soon as they were in range. The Straw Hats sprang into action right away. A net of disembodied arms protected the center mast, while artillery was batted away with rubber balloon bodies, swords, kicks, and to everyone's astonishment, the bare hand of an injured ninja.

Zoro prepared to leap forward to slice a cannonball soaring directly for the bow of the Sunny, but before he could actually move, Fi appeared atop the Lion figurehead in a blur of purple.

She calmly watched the incoming cannonball fly towards her.

Fi crouched low then leapt straight up into the air, directly into the path of the cannonball. Her uninjured right hand started glowing a faint greenish-blue.

Just as Zoro thought she'd take a direct hit, she turned her body to the left at the last second and twisted mid-air, letting the cannonball pass by her chest by mere millimeters. With striking speed, her glowing right hand trailed after the projectile and took control of its trajectory.

Fi continued to rotate in a tight circle, making it look as if the shell orbited her as she guided it along with her glowing hand. She took a second full turn around herself to wind up, then launched the cannonball right back towards the enemy ship, like it was a goddamn shot-put or something!

Her momentum turned her around one more time as she dropped to land silently, landing in a very ninja-like side lunge on the Sunny's figurehead.

 _Flawless timing!_  And the whole thing happened in hardly a few seconds—a testament of the girl's movement speed!

Fi stood up straight again and calmly watched the enemy ship advance, while Zoro remembered to pick his jaw up off the floor.

His attention was diverted from the ninja as the enemy captain, now within earshot as the two ships approached one another, called out to his crew.

"TAKE THEIR HEADS; THEIR BOUNTIES WILL MAKE US INFAMOUS IN THE NEW WORLD!"

"Are those guys idiots!?" Nami complained, hiding behind Heavy Point Chopper but Clima-Tact ready nonetheless. "Attacking our crew head-on with only brute force totally suicidal!"

Zoro looked back to Fiore atop the Lion figure-head just in time to see her crouch low again, now  _feet_  glowing a deep bluish, then powerfully propel her body through the air towards the enemy ship.

The blue-glow of her right hand was gone and replaced by a kunai.

"WAIT—!" Zoro's voice carried out far too late.

Fiore landed among the dumbfounded enemy pirates and fought on like fucking lightning, no hesitation whatsoever but favoring her left side.

She jammed her kunai into one man's back and forcefully ripped horizontally with violent force. She severed his spine, if the way he collapsed and screamed was any clue. Without pause, she pulled a shuriken from her thigh pouch and sank it deep into the neck of farther enemy with hardly more than a quick flick of her wrist.

Fi dodged a sword and rushed the offender, then wrapped her hands around his head and—

"Ho-holy  _shit_!" Zoro stuttered in disbelief.

—she  _twisted it_  with a swift, sickening jerk.

The fucking girl was  _literally_   _breaking necks_!

Sanji spun on his heel to see what had Zoro's inflection rising. "S-shit! What's she… by herself?!"

Luffy was already following Fiore's example, jumping to the enemy ship. "FIIII! WAIT UUUP!" He hollered out as he dodged attacks and punched anyone who got too close.

She either didn't hear him or ignored him.

Shaking out of their momentary stupor, Sanji and Zoro followed suit, dispatching the enemy in their own ways.

Fi was way ahead of them all, preventing a single enemy boot from advancing, cutting them down quickly and  _randomly_!?

Luffy wasn't being careful as he tried to catch up to the ninja, and the rubber idiot was about to take a sword straight to the back of his head.

Zoro raised his swords to counter the attack on his captain with a long-distance projectile attack, but the need was negated by the ninja!

Fi, still way ahead of Luffy, looked to be surrounded by enemies… Until she jumped up and flipped acrobatically, twisting and rotating around high in the air to avoid several attacks. Still upside-down, she also chucked a shuriken backwards.

The bladed star missed Luffy's throat by a hair's-breath, only to embed deeply in the eye socket of the enemy pirate who had been about to skewer Luffy. The sucking, smacking, crack of the impact was so violent that Sanji audibly gasped. Zoro's own eye fluttered, as he, too, fought a flinch.

Again, Zoro's jaw practically hit the floor—she hadn't even turned to see the enemy, let alone line up a precision shot like that!  _It had to be some ninja form of observation haki._

_Good aim, indeed._

Almost as fast as the three Straw Hat monsters could process Fi's actions, she was already moving in a different direction, running her kunai along another man's gut, eviscerating him as she dodged the axe he'd raised. Guy wasn't even fast enough to  _swing_.

Like an efficient but particularly aggressive butcher, Fiore continued her one-woman rampage. Another enemy pirate crumpled to the ground with his head facing the wrong way only a fraction of a second before another man went down in an arterial spray of blood, a shuriken lodged in the front of his neck with startling accuracy.

No wonder Luffy was so distracted!  _This ninja shit wasn't anything to fuck around about_!

The ninja continued to flip and spring acrobatically to a different parts of the enemy ship in a constant blur of purple and metal, leaving behind a path of bright red blood and unnaturally twisted heads.

The enemy captain called for a full retreat right before blood foamed up from his mouth, his eyes wide with fatal surprise. The ninja leapt away from him just as quickly as she arrived, and the man was dead before he hit the deck.

She slowed her roll a bit, probably because standing bodies were thinning.

"FIIII!" Luffy called after the ninja again, who finally looked over to three Straw Hat monsters as she jerked her arms to snap another neck.

Zoro clenched his jaw, eyes widening before he schooled his reaction. There was an understandable excitement in her eyes that came with the physical exertion of a good fight, but besides that…

Her expression was devoid of  _anything_  except that coldness that made him anxious in the first place.

Luffy's slight noise of surprise told Zoro that he saw it, too.

Regardless, his captain called out again.

"WE WON. SO LET'S GO BACK TO THE SUNNY, FI."

She nodded and waved her understanding as she stooped to pull a shuriken out of some dead pirate's skull.

The fight was over, and thanks to Fiore, the trio didn't break a sweat. On the other hand, a majority of the enemy crew, including the enemy captain, became shark food. The rest hid and cowered, with damn good reason.

Nami was right: why would such weaklings attack the Straw Hats like this in the first place?

Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy subtly exchanged looks as they took a few running steps and leapt back to the Sunny.

Landing on the deck of the Sunny and not hearing their fourth, they belatedly realized Fiore hadn't actually followed!

She still zipped around the enemy ship in a blur.

 _Fuck_ , she wasn't finishing them off, was she? Didn't seem so…

Dread in his gut, Zoro considered perhaps Fiore wasn't returning at all.

Was she jumping ship? Escaping the Sunny at the first possible opportunity? Was she planning to commandeer the enemy ship? Could she even  _sail_?!

Zoro's raised a hand to scrub at his hair in frustration, tugging at it forcefully as he traded a look with Sanji, communicating a rare moment of agreement. The blonde's troubled expression mirrored his own.

 _What should they do_?

The rest of the Straw Hats had worried expressions, too.

Luffy and Zoro both called out at the same time.

" _OI_!"

"FII!"

Zoro shut his mouth, letting his captain call her back. "WE'RE DONE WITH THEM! LET'S GOOOOOO!"

Fiore glanced at the Sunny but didn't bother to respond as she stooped out of sight to do hell knows what.

Zoro considered jumping back to the enemy ship before it drifted too far away, but Nami's worried voice stopped him.

"Brook, at the helm. Prepare to follow that ship if necessary. She'll get lost at sea if she can't navigate."

Squinting at the wayward ninja, Zoro  _finally_  saw what she was doing—collecting her throwing weapons, those scary as all-fuck shuriken.

Almost as quickly as his panic had risen, the ninja turned back towards the Sunny and made one big, powerful leap back toward them. It looked like her feet glowed that strange blue-green for a moment, but Zoro couldn't quite tell due to her speed and the fact that he'd been  _holding his fucking breath_.

He forcefully removed his hands from his hair.

The collective tension remained tangible as the troublesome ninja landed, eerily silent, on the railing of the Sunny. She crouched there briefly, in that same lithe ninja-lunch as before, a dozen bloodied shuriken stacked neatly in her right hand, five kunai hanging from each finger by the ringed pommels.

Fi held her weapons over the railing so the enemy's blood dripped into the sea and not on the deck. She shook her collection gently few times, flinging off excess blood, but her hesitation was obvious.

"Sorry to make you wait. These are… difficult to replace." She explained far too off-handedly.

Fi looked up just in time to see Luffy's rubbery arms looping around her several times.

The ninja stiffened but didn't make an attempt to remove him as he constricted her without care and pulled her onto the deck.

She let him drag her further onto the Sunny, carefully holding her weapons out and away from Luffy's rubbery skin.

"You scared me!" Her jaw clenched as she watched Luffy's squinty smile, like he was finally going to turn on her. "I thought you weren't coming back!"

"Uh…" She fumbled even as she schooled her expression, obviously surprised by the captain's words.

Luffy was a verbal bull-dozer, anyway. "YOU'RE SO STRONG! And fast! I'm glad you're on our side  _shishisi_! I wish you'd join my crew!"

Back in Brain Point, Chopper ran up to the pair and tried to pry Luffy's arms off the girl as he went into scary doctor mode.

"FI! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? YOU'RE INJURED! YOU CAN'T MOVE LIKE THAT!"

Luffy ignored the doctor and kept smiling. "Maybe try for less blood next time though!  _Shishishi_ , you're covered in it! Gross!"

Fi's head tilted ever-so-slightly as she wondered. "Less… blood?"

Robin offered a loving smile, explaining. "We don't fight with lethal intent."

Fiore tilted her head another few degree as she regarded Robin, apparently confused by this idea.

Chopper still tried to get past their captain to inspect the unnervingly calm ninja.

"FI-OR-E!" His shrill tone and use of her full name finally derailed Luffy and caused him to release her. "How much of this is your blood?!"

Zoro filled with worry again— _she was hurt?_

"Why?" The doctor wailed, eyes shining as he continued to struggle to see Fi's shoulder injury. "Why doesn't anyone on this ship take care of themselves?!"

Fiore's eyes widened a bit, seeing the upset doctor's teary eyes. Compliant, she dropped to her knees to be on his level and pulling her shirt to the side to reveal her bandaged shoulder.

"I'm okay, Chopper! See? It's not my blood—I was careful. I'm sorry!"

"YOU ARE SO GROUNDED! NO FIGHTING!" Chopper lectured furiously as he inspected her bandaged shoulder. He sniffed at the blood on her, probably detecting mostly unfamiliar scents. He looked around to double-check that no Straw-Hat has so much as a scratch. "But then whose…"

The doctor shook it off and focused. "Come with me. I can  _smell_  that you managed to make it bleed through the stitches a little. And you're a walking biohazard, you idiot! Do you have any idea how many blood-borne illnesses there are? You'll need a bath before I can even check the damage."

Chopper ushered her towards the washroom first, presumably to hose her down like a muddy dog. She quietly accepted her fate despite her poorly hidden martyred expression.

The rest of the crew remained quiet until they were out of sight.

Sanji broke the silence with a chuckle, shaking more blonde hair into his face and eyes, as was his habit when he was nervous.

"Well, that was… something."

" _Yohoho_ …." Brooke crooned softly, but it sounded off. "At least she's strong?"

Nami voice wavered, near a whisper. "She moved so fast, I-I couldn't even tell what was happening, but… the blood, the bodies…"

Usopp looked just as shook. "A-and with her bare hands."

"There's nothing to fear so long as she is, as Luffy put it, on our side." Robin's tone was admonishing. "We know nothing of her past— _not_  fighting to kill is an unaffordable luxury for some."

"OWW! Robin is right: kill or be killed! And she probably thought she was protecting us or repaying us for the ride." Franky supplied. "We shouldn't judge her so  _suuuuper_  harsh!"

Everyone's eyes found Zoro, looking for consensus. He could only manage a shrug.

Considering the issue settled, Luffy grinned at everyone.

"We'll show her how we kick ass next time!"

Nami put a hand over her face, taking a deep, cathartic breath before barking commands like usual. She looked at each crew member as she issued orders.

"Alright, alright. Franky, take the helm, Usopp, nest. Brook, starboard. Zoro—" She regarded him a beat before, in full seriousness, dismissing him. "Never mind—go take a nap—you look like shit."

She turned to the remaining crew present. "Luffy, take over port. Sanji, follow me. Let's put distance between us and that… gore."

No one argued, and everyone immediately hopped-to.

Zoro was left standing there, nothing to do but everything the matter.

He stumbled to his bunk in the men's quarters as his thoughts still spun, trying to sort through what the fuck just happened.

Robin and Franky had valid points, but they didn't see Fi's carnage up close.

Those enemy pirates… They couldn't fight back. They couldn't even  _run_  from her.

Fi  _knew_ that.

And she slaughtered them anyway.

Mercilessly and brutally.

Underneath her pretty purples and intriguing metal hoops… beneath her gentler conduct with the crew… lurked what Zoro had suspected.

Fiore the ninja was a vicious, cold-blooded killer.

...

Well, _fuck_.

Nami was right—he needed a goddamn nap.

* * *

The weather in the New World was notorious for dramatic shifts in conditions, and that night, one hell of a storm blew up. It brought wind and rain so cold that even Chopper would want a coat.

Having been woken up by the storm, Zoro got a gut feeling that violent, purple-haired idiot was still up top.

He stumbled out of his bunk, noting Chopper's bed was empty.

 _Shit_.

Not pausing to find a shirt, Zoro quickly made for the deck.

He pushed the door open to a blast of icy air and sheeting rain.

His eye quickly found the saw the small doctor standing in front of a huddled ninja. She still sat on her ass, back leaned against the wall, arms protectively wrapped around her legs.

Zoro couldn't hear Chopper's voice over the pouring rain, but the little guy stuck his hoof out to her. Surprisingly, she reached out and grabbed hold, allowing Chopper to help her up.

Zoro's eyebrows furrowed as he hurried forward again. _Something was definitely wrong._

As soon as Fi was standing, she crumbled to her knees in front of Chopper.

She started to collapse backwards, but Zoro stooped down and quickly slid one arm behind her shoulders and the other behind her knees.

In one motion, he scooped her up and stood, minding her injured left shoulder. She was ice against his warm skin, and her eyes were scrunched shut.

He called out to Chopper as he made for shelter inside the Sunny. "Infirmary?"

"Yeah."

Zoro glanced down at the girl in his arms as he carried her swiftly into the ship's interior and down the hall. She was pale as hell. Her breath came in pants as shuttering chills wracked her body. He didn't know if she was conscious or not as she turned her face into him pressed her forehead against his bare torso.

He entered the infirmary, and Chopper didn't have to tell him what to do. This was, in fact, not their first rodeo.

He simply laid the ninja on the floor as Chopper flipped on the bright overhead lights.

Fi sluggishly shied away from the brightness, mumbling incoherently.

"Relax." Zoro assured.

The doctor tossed Zoro a clean towel, which he immediately wrapped around the girl's soaked mess of hair and squeezed, trying to get the access water from it. He took a second towel from Chopper and rubbed it down her arms and hands to dry her skin. At the same time, Chopper popped the girl's shoes off and dried her legs and feet.

The reindeer stood and went across the room, pulling more towels and several blankets out of the cabinets, and tossed them near Zoro. He also pulled out a couple small, plastic-looking squares that Zoro recognized as emergency heating pads.

The sight of those brought back bad memories.

 _Foolish ninja.._.

"We need to get her out of those wet clothes."

Zoro had already started to move, knowing that was next.

"I'll grab something from Nami's room."

Chopper simply nodded.

Zoro silently stole a clean shirt, a pair of shorts, and underwear from the women's room, not bothering to wake them.

He returned to the infirmary, not surprised to see the shit-cook leaning against the wall nearby, cigarette cherry glowing in the dark hall as he took a drag.

He exhaled smoke as he spoke. "Anything serious?"

"Nah. Mild hypothermia."

"Was she conscious?"

"Not really."

"Lips blue?"

"No."

Sanji inhaled again, held the nicotine in his lungs, and then exhaled a breathy curse. " _Damnit_."

Chopper's called from the other side of the ajar infirmary door.

"Zoro?"

He silently stepped over the threshold, tossed Chopper the clothes without a word, and stepped back out again.

It was definitely odd that any kind of situation caused Zoro to step outside of the infirmary, since he was the one that usually assisted Chopper in these situations. As a swordsman, he was desensitized to blood, guts, and nudity. And while not many would guess, that also meant he had a decent working knowledge of emergency aid.

Sanji and Chopper probably noticed Zoro's unusual decision to stay out of the room for this particular task, but neither teased him for his obvious tell.

After another short minute, Chopper called out again. "Zoro."

"We'll let you know." Zoro muttered to the blonde vaguely.

Sanji simply nodded. "I'll be in my kitchen."

Zoro stepped into the infirmary as Chopper transformed to Heavy Point then moved her to the infirmary bed.

Fi was still unconscious, which was for the best, because Zoro had to take a seat on the bed and slide behind her. She wouldn't want to be this close given her habit of avoiding physical contact. Except to fight, apparently, or when Luffy's lack of personal space forced it.

Plus, there was her habit of avoiding even breathing the same air as Zoro.

And then there was the fact that she was dressed only in Nami's underwear. He was similarly half-dressed. Obviously, body heat was fundamental in cases of cold-related emergencies. He absolutely wouldn't let himself feel any way about it, but if she woke up, she may flay him, emergency notwithstanding.

Zoro gently raised her shoulders and torso so he could sit down at the head of the bed. He turned and swung his legs up, situating himself behind Fi. He scooted further up the bed so he could recline his shoulders against the wall and lean back more comfortable.

He straightened his legs on either side of her and pulled her flush against his body, reclining her torso against his chest again. He situated his arms and legs along the outside length of her limbs, wrapping his hands around hers as he hugged her against his torso. This way, he had the most skin-to-skin contact possible.

Chopper turned back to them and put the square heating pads across her feet and shins.

Zoro stilled so as not to disrupt Chopper's readings of Fi's vitals.

Definitely not their first rodeo.

Unfortunately, it occurred regularly among the crew for a short streak of time. The weather in the New World just crazy. While they learned their lessons, every once in a while someone did something dumb, like tried to train in frigid water. Or lost a coat. Or fell in the ocean while chasing a damn penguin.

Zoro had been in this exact position before, as well as in Fi's spot.

He sincerely hoped this girl was new to the New World, like they were, and wasn't just that careless.

Chopper monitored her carefully as he set up an IV.

"She's not drinking or eating enough to be this reckless." He complained quietly.

"She knows we're running low on supplies." Zoro defended her for unknown reasons.

Chopper looked surprised at this revelation but was unconvinced. "There's enough to go around without one of us depriving herself like this."

"She's not  _one of us_." Zoro's tone was a little more acidic than necessary.

Chopper bit his tongue, and Zoro knew the doctor was a breath short of chewing him out—something along the lines of ' _it's your fault she feels that way!_ '

He didn't need to tell Zoro that.

Given his dynamic with Fi, he didn't push back against her effort to stay apart from everyone. If she wanted to maintain distance with everyone, that was her choice, even if it confused and pissed him the hell off… and sent pangs of guilt through his stomach.

Chopper methodically checked her vitals every few minutes, looking for some benchmark to indicate she was no longer at risk. It took a while, but when she there, Chopper sighed and sat back.

"Alright. She's probably okay. I wanted to gauge her speech and reflexes, but I don't want to interrupt her body's recovery response either. She should remain here for a while longer. Are you too hot, or can you tolerate it?"

"M'fine. Get some rest. I'll stay with her." Zoro mumbled, not caring that he was uncomfortably warm and starting to perspire.

Chopper nodded. "Okay. I'll check back in a while."

"Sanji is in the galley." Zoro offered, knowing it would cheer up the doctor if he had company while he caught his breath. "Let's not worry the others, though, okay?"

Chopper watched the purple-haired girl intently. "Yeah, I agree."

"She may kill me if she wakes up like this." He joked flatly.

Chopper turned his keen, brown-eyed gaze back to Zoro. "But she wouldn't really, right? Even though you guys are mad at each other right now? You'll make up."

"No, she won't kill me." Zoro didn't need to consider the first part of his question.

The girl hated him. And hell, she  _was_  a half maniacal, fully murderous ninja. But she  _liked_  the others—she wouldn't kill him, if only for their sake. The kid's rhetoric raised the question of who exactly the doctor thought Fiore and Zoro were to one another, but he was too tired to question it.

"I'll be back to relieve you soon." Chopper made his exit.

Left alone, Zoro consciously tried to relax. Feeling warmth return to Fi helped that cause despite the discomfort of being so warm he sweat.

He owed her this.

It hit him in the gut, knowing that the blame rest on his shoulders. She made a reckless decision, remaining out on the deck during such bad weather. But why? Because she really felt unwelcome to take shelter? Simply to stick to her guns?

Her strength in spite of little sleep and food was admirable but totally pointless and senselessly pig-headed. He wanted to smack some sense into her at the same time he felt guilty for causing her to withdraw from everyone.

Zoro didn't mean to set and maintain this tone with her, but he was  _confused_ —an atypical feeling he distinctly loathed.

At first, he couldn't  _read_  the girl. Plus there was the fact that she looked good as hell, whichdidn't exactly help clarify things for him.  _Damn those piercings and violets_.

And she really was dangerous. His instincts  _were right on the money_  when it came to the fact that she had  _issues_. But hell, who among them didn't? They all had their demons, Zoro included. In hindsight, it highlighted that she may  _fit in_  with a bunch of aberrant pirates like them.

His defensiveness waned as she showed she was self-possessed and wouldn't flip—at least not on the others. Still, he left her alone, given her cold-shouldered approach with him.

But her brutality during today's fight, not to mention the confusing juxtaposition of her massacre and her borderline  _tenderness_  the Straw Hat crew… It threw him for another loop.

When she jumped back to the Sunny, she kept her distance, as if waiting for either permission or rejection. It was like the girl  _knew_  her violence freaked them out and was prepared for some fallout.

But for all her savagery, Luffy grabbed her and didn't get torn to bits. Chopper shouted way too close to her, but she knelt down to him to  _alleviate_  the kid's stress.

In the end, Zoro came to agree with Robin and Franky.

She showed there was no reason for the Straw Hats to fear her. And they really didn't have any idea about Fi—who she was or where she was headed.

Bringing him back to the present, the girl in his arms stirred slightly, shifting against him.

"Relax. You're okay."

A soft sound escaped her lips.

"I got ya." Zoro reassured in a low voice. "Sleep, Fi."

She made herself comfortable against him, probably trying to get closer to her heat source.

Zoro, for his part, bit his lip and stared hard at the wall ahead, exercising his world-class self-control over his thoughts and bodily reactions as she relaxed into him.

* * *

Chopper appeared a time later, and Zoro reported that Fiore seemed to fall into a more natural sleep.

The doctor directed him to move so he could check her vitals, dress her fully, and cover her with blankets. Zoro napped in a nearby chair, zoning out but remaining close until Chopper was finished. The others would rise soon and be in the galley for breakfast. When the kid sat at his desk to do some paperwork and keep an eye on Fi, he ordered Zoro to get some sleep.

So, he went back to his bunk, feeling mixed up as he thought about the small ninja.

Fi's physical proximity was far too easy for him in the face of the fact that she would hate it,  _especially_  because it was him. While it was for her own good, having her weight against him was…

 _Well_ …

He could have stayed like that with her for a while.

* * *

Fiore woke up, swaddled in blankets in the recognizable infirmary, dazed and confused.

And she felt like  _shit_.

Like she had the worst hangover, plus something like a fever. Her body felt like a sea king had been chewing on her.

She smelled and heard Chopper close by.

Rolling over, she was immediately greeted by the doctor who sat at his desk.

She just blinked at him.

"Hey, Fi." He offered her a kind smile. "How ya feeling?"

She audibly groaned as she sat up, still hazy as fuck and heavy as lead. "Horrible?"

Chopper nodded but turned back to his work.

"Take a minute to wake up, and I'll finish my notes. Then, you're coming to the galley with me to eat. If you resist, I'll sedate you and feed you through a tube. Your choice."

His nonchalance didn't diminish his real threat.

"Ah, okay."

* * *

Zoro finally made his way to breakfast, half surprised to see Fi sitting at the end of the table. She was wide-eyed but quiet. One of Chopper's blankets remained wrapped around her shoulders

Though some color had returned to her features compared to last night, she still looked worse for wear. The dark circles under her eyes were markedly worse. She must have just recently arrived to the galley, because Chopper was providing a half-lie on her behalf.

"Oh, I made Fi sleep in the infirmary during the storm!" Chopper chirped brightly to the rest of the crew.

The pink tinge on Fiore's cheeks indicated her discomfort at being the center of attention, and Sanji rescued her by serving food to everyone.

The ninja tried to decline, but thankfully, the shit-cook was more forceful than usual.

"After fighting yesterday, you need this. Trust me."

She furrowed her brows as she looked up at Sanji, whose blue-eyes watched back more insistently than usual. Sanji was willing to fight her on this one, and Fi acquiesced.

With food on the table, the customary ruckus ensued.

All seemed normal despite the presence of Fi at the table and the relative reserve of those involved last night. That included Robin, obviously—nothing got past Robin.

Through the meal, Zoro felt concern and confusion from the ninja, even as the girl had that damn stoic look to her. She ate quickly, then retreated from the galley as quickly as etiquette would allow.

* * *

Fiore was glad for the warm, sunny day. Such a crazy shift from last night's weather, though par for the course with the New World.

All the Straw Hats lazed around on the deck, taking turns manning the helm. Fiore offered to help, but they always turned her down because her damn shoulder injury. She refrained from rolling her eyes at the babying, wishing they indulged her more—she was bored as hell.

Late in the afternoon, Chopper managed to pester her into giving shoulder another check-up and redress. She went without much of a fight this time, wanting to talk to the doctor anyway. She had questions that she couldn't properly voice that morning, needing time to sort through her muddled memories.

Once they were alone in the infirmary, and Chopper worked on her admittedly tender shoulder, she sacked up.

"So… you covered for me, obviously, but I can't say I recall too much of what happened." She admitted.

Chopper glanced up from his work to give her a hard look. "Well, apparently you are so stubborn that you'd rather get hypothermia than take shelter. Even during a storm like that! It was practically raining ice!"

Fiore pressed her lips together, tone carefully level. "I like the cold. And it's not my place, doctor. You're all lovely, but ultimately, this is your home and not mine. As a guest, I've already taken up too much—"

Chopper cut her off. "You still made a stupid choice last night, and you're lucky that we got you inside in time. You're fortunate to not have lost any fingers or toes."

She was quiet for a few minutes before asking her question.

"All the same, why cover for me?"

It was the doctor's turn to press his lips together.

Fiore understood why Chopper, as a doctor, agreed to shield her. Most medical professionals were careful to maintain confidentiality when possible. She did  _not_  understand why a certain swordsman would bother to keep the incident to himself, though. Especially considering how easily the jerk called her out last week in front of everyone at the table.

_The swordsman saw too much of the underneath too easily, as did the doctor._

"But, why would…  _Zoro_  let it slide?"

Chopper hesitated then hedged. "He's protective."

Oh. Zoro wanted to shield the others from her.  _Ah_. Must be Chopper's reason, too.

The rest of the crew was probably starting to figure out something was wrong with her. She frightened some of the Straw Hats in the first place. And though she wasn't a danger to  _them_ , she knew they were troubled by her fighting style—even Luffy. Her carelessness last night only underscored that she was fucked up in the head.

Fiore felt mortified as she recollected the night prior. It took her all morning to piece her spotty memories together.

She remembered the beginning—waking up to a terrible wind quickly followed by a big storm. She didn't care about getting soaked by the ice-cold rain. She felt apathetic, like leaving her fate up to chance.  _Fuck it_ , she had thought,  _what was the point?_

So, she slipped, slowly descending into that place in her mind where nothing was material. Where she wasn't anyone anymore.

And as her consciousness grew spotty, she thought that dying at sea sounded vaguely pleasant. A part of her acknowledged that there would be witnesses of her death, and that sounded good as anything else. She knew it was morbid, but she was already so detached from it all, disconnected from herself and from existence.

Then, suddenly, through the rain, the little reindeer…  _Chopper_?

The doctor wanted her to go below deck with him.  _Well, why not._

She recalled standing up but feeling woozy. She lost the feeling of the deck under her feet.  _Had she fallen_?

But then there was a telling moss-green, his deep voice, his stupid-thick arms, his warm  _skin_ …?

She struggled against the blackness, never quite able to win.

As she drifted, an indefinite but  _material_  heat enveloped her. Not that acidic burn she sometimes felt in her veins, but a  _natural_ warmth, something  _good_.

A rhythmic, unfaltering  _ba-dump_  beat between her shoulder blades. The steady sensation helped her come back from her place of oblivion.

But as she found mental grounding, the dreams— _memories_ —started, and the self-preserving numbness took over again. She automatically disconnected and watched her hands kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill and kill.

Nothing was real except her hands, and the endless loop of bloodletting became everything because at least it was  _something_.

Then he said her  _name_.

_Someone said her fucking name!?_

The gore became woolly enough for her to  _realize_  the void and detachment.

That distant thumping against her back…  _Ba-dump… ba-dump… ba-dump…_

That's right…

 _She was on the Sunny_.

She repeated it in her mind a few times to help her find herself again.

_On the Sunny. On the Sunny. On the Sunny._

No more dreaming, no more  _blood_.

Just…  _ba-dump_ …  _ba-dump_ …

Then…

Fiore physically woke up, completely disoriented. She remained confused through breakfast, not entirely understanding why Copper lied on her behalf, but bits and pieces started coming back.

And now, sitting here in the infirmary yet again, late in the afternoon, Chopper covered her shoulder in a clean, white bandage.

Shame crept through her body.

She wondered if Zoro felt as if he shared her shame, being the one who brought her along in the first place.

 _Fuck_.

It was irrelevant since she'd be out of here soon.

As much as she liked this crew and felt relatively  _composed_  while on the Sunny—last night being a glaring exception—she was losing her already questionable sense of up and down.

Fiore told herself she was glad they would make land soon and ignored the twist in her gut.


	5. Bring Sally Down

* * *

"LAND!  _Land!_ " Usopp shouted from the crow's nest speaker, all enthused. " _I see an island!_ "

The Straw Hats and a ninja gathered on the Sunny's lawn deck to see the island become just visible on the horizon.

Everyone cheered up and gained some energy at first, but a little disappointment hung in the air. They would be on land for a day or two and  _finally_  get some energy out, but Fi would part ways with them.

Zoro didn't know how to feel, but when he looked at Fi, something ominous crept across his skull and crawled down his spine.

It was high noon, so they first sailed around the island from a distance to scope out both sets of docks and make sure there were no marines obviously lurking nearby.

The ass-hat cook took it as an opportunity to harass Zoro, out of earshot of the others.

"Hey, invalid. You got it this time, right?  _Two_  docks.  _TWO_." Sanji held up two fingers in front of Zoro's face and counted them off with a slow, obnoxious drawl. "Ooone… Twwwooo—"

Zoro drew Wado to slash him in half. "You  _bastard_."

Twirly-brow effortlessly blocked the sword with the toe of his boot. " _Sen_ ~si~ _tiiiiive_. What's wrong, moss head? Something  _florid_ on your mind? A certain violet bud stunting your little caveman brain?"

He growled in warning, but of course Sanji didn't give a shit.

The asshole kicked Wado away and spun on his heel as he raised his other leg, trying to kick Zoro in the face, but he drew Shusui and blocked his iron-hot foot.

"Don't be a dumbass. Go talk to her."

" _I'm fucking warning you._ "

Sanji narrowed his eyes. "And I'm fucking warning _you,_ shit-ape." He dropped his leg and straightened out his tie, rolling his cigarette to the other side of his mouth. "Go apologize. Fix it."

" _Fuck off_."

The cook leaned in and grabbed a handful of Zoro's shirt, getting in his face and punctuating his word. " _Fix_.  _It_."

Zoro restrained his urge to level this half of the New World. Because even if it manifested as belligerence, the cook's honest eyes betrayed his shitty concern.

Instead, he tore out of the cook's grip and lamely shuffled away, done with the conversation.

"You're worse than an old lady, shithead."

"Then opportunity missed, marimo. It' unlike you."

_Zoro already fuckin' knew that._

With no Marine in sight, the Sunny began its advance, Franky at the helm.

Zoro spotted his captian and Fi talking quietly, both looking serious. Luffy put his hands on top of his head and pulled his hat down to hide his eyes for a few seconds. He knew the kid concealed disappointment despite his reassuring smile of acceptance. Fi was definitely not hanging around.

He felt the urge to confront her, but suddenly Usopp piped up from nearby and gave him a warning look.

"You're making that face you have whenever you're about to say something exceptionally shitty. You don't need to do anymore damage, you know?"

Zoro opened his mouth for a quick retort but nothing came out. He actually had an insult on the tip of his tongue.

Ah,  _hell_.

Franky expertly approached the docks and dropped anchor, but the crew lost a bit of their cheer, knowing a goodbye was looming.

Fi already watched the people on the dock, guard up, all calm and composed despite the shine in her eyes.

She wore her own clothes again—small black tank top and dark shorts—having since washed the blood out.

Zoro watched her tie back her long, wavy hair with that thin piece of cerulean ribbon she kept wrapped around her right arm all week. She tied it in a bow near her shoulder blades, just like when he'd first seen her with her hood down, getting her shoulder stitched up on Chopper's exam table.

He felt his eyebrows pinch.  _Such wasted time_.

"Do you really have to go, Fi?" Nami wondered.

Fi turned away from everyone as she fixed her previously forgotten hood over her head, shrouding herself from the crew as she spoke. "I enjoyed our time together, Nami. I appreciate your kindness."

_Coward, hiding in her hood like that_.

"Thanks again, everyone." She kept her face behind that stupid scarf thing, just like outside that stupid tavern, and threw her stupid cloak around her shoulders. "I can't wait to read about you in the paper."

Still without looking to the others, Fi walked forward to meet Luffy, who leaned against the port railing, the dock just beyond him. She raised her eyes to meet his smile. "Thanks, Luffy."

The captain grinned wider at her even as he grabbed the edges of his hat with rare bashfulness. "We won't be able to find you, so you have come look for us if you wanta visit, 'kay?"

She nodded hopped up on the railing next to Luffy, her back still to the rest of the crew. "See ya, pirate king."

Fi leapt off the ship, landing silently on the wooden planks of the dock below.

Chopper hollered at her one last time. " _Be careful dammit!"_

Without turning back, she gave the doctor a wave of acknowledgement over her shoulder as walked away quickly, face towards the ground and veiled from people in the crowd.

_Shit._

Fi moved away from the Sunny.

" _Wai…_ " Zoro's words died in his throat, not sure he really made a sound, because only Sanji, directly standing next to him, looked over as he exhaled cigarette smoke.

_T _his didn't feel right__.

None of the Straw Hats moved as they watched the ninja blend into the crowd and disappear from sight all too fast.

And just like that, Fiore the ninja was gone.

An ominous emotion stabbed at Zoro, accompanied by a hollow kind of anxiety.

_Regret_.

It was regret.

Nearly unbearable to admit it, but the shit-cook was right.

_Too fuckin' late_.

Luffy was openly disappointed and whining. " _Daammmn_! I wish she stayed… Fi was great! A ninja would have been an awesome addition to the crew, too!"

Brook sighed and moved to a different task. "A beautiful addition, too."

Nami and Chopper joined the conversation tearfully, but Zoro retreated below deck before he heard their words, not wanting to be further affected by  _any_  of this. The crew were half afraid of her, anyway, and they'd hardly known the girl!

_Why were they like this, goddammit?_

Zoro grabbed his swords and returned to the deck again. They all agreed to meet back on the ship that night to discuss what they saw in town and how long they to remain docked. He didn't wait to hear anything else before setting out on his own, ignoring the others' demands of ' _don't get lost_ ' and ' _don't board the wrong ship again_.'

_And blah fuckin' blah._

Zoro only planned to get a little fucking drunk, if even possible, and get over this shit already.

* * *

After a zigzag route through town, Zoro found a back-alley tavern that suited him. It was seedy and dank. Definitely not the kind of place the other Straw Hats would visit.

_A perfect place to wallow in peace and forget that girl._

He entered the moderately crowded, low-lit bar and found a small table towards the edge of the room. Observing the low-hum activity from the fringes, he scanned the room out of habit.

His eye locked onto the back of a small, hooded figure, and the hairs on his neck stood up.

Now, Zoro didn't believe in fate, but he damn well believed in his own luck.

At the bar sat a deadly ninja.

The girl whose mere presence disrupted his life for nearly two weeks.

_Fiore_  kept her back to the crowd, hair hidden in her cowl and face shadowed, just like the first time he met her. Her cloak was still draped around her, obscuring her feminine figure.

She obviously didn't sense his presence, or she'd have bolted before Zoro had even seen her.

_Why did that idiot have her guard down in a place like this_?

He stayed back, of course, sitting at his table across in the room, well away from her and out of sight. She was eating an enormous amount of food, and he didn't want her to abandon it because of him.

Zoro grit his teeth. Everyone  _knew_  she was hungry. _What a fool_.

He quietly ordered some booze and laid low, sipping his drink while Fi ate through several plates of food in hardly fifteen minutes.

The ninja quickly finished her mug, put some notes on the bar-top, and stood, turning towards the exit across the room.

She raised her face just enough for her sharp, pretty eyes to scan of the room as she started to move, apparently tuning back into the world around her.

Zoro fought the slight impulse to avoid her scrutiny, and instead, he trained his gaze on her face. Fi's senses were definitely back into full focus, because it took her hardly a second to register his stare.

Her gaze snap her his, and for a fleeting second, she looked genuinely surprised to see him.

Those lavender eyes were too bloodshot. Her cheeks were a splotchy rose. Even her goddamn nose was pink from crying.

_That face_ …

Zoro inhaled sharply and opened his mouth to call out something,  _anything_ , but she was already at the door and out of the tavern.

Gone again. Just like that.

That  _goddamn_ face—he couldn't  _take_  it—she'd been  _crying_ , for fuck's sake!

His feet carried him after her, out into the bright daylight again. He scanned the adjacent rooftops, not bothering to look down the streets for a  _ninja_.

_Bingo_.

Fi hoisted herself up to the low-hanging roof of an adjacent building, not at all minding her injury!  _Moron!_

She was over the ledge and out of sight again at an alarming speed. If wasn't careful, even with observation haki, he'd lose her immediately.

Zoro took running leap to grab the edge of the same roof, quickly pulling himself up and calling out.

" _WAIT_  goddammit!"

The girl snapped to a halt but didn't turn towards him.

Surprised that she actually stopped moving, he scrambled to his feet on the roof, searching for words that he wasn't sure existed. He obviously didn't have any kind of plan.

"I, uh… _fuck._ " He clenched his fists and ground out a flimsy, shitty,  _overused_  phrase. "I'm sorry _._ "

She was silent and unmoving.

He still couldn't see her face. "Okay?"

"Okay?" She repeated in that neutral, chilly tone. "Sure.  _Okay_."

"You won't at least  _look_  at me? Come on—please."

His brain and his vocal chords were apparently disconnected as pathetic shit tumbled out of his mouth.  _Why did he act like this in front of her?_

Zoro started as she blurred and was suddenly in front of him, inches away.  _Good _fuck_ , so fast_!

Fi got in his face to the extent possible with their height difference. Her red-rimmed eyes held his. No mask, no feigned disinterest. She was imposing and  _pissed_ _,_  and it was goddamn effective.

"Why? What will I see—contempt, right? It's always the same with you, with  _everyone_."

Zoro's throat felt dry as she directed her attention and voice at  _him_  for the first time in weeks. He blinked dumbly, trying to find the meaning to her words, trying to find a path out of the maze of her cold tone and blazing eyes.

_Contempt?_

She scoffed at his silence as she stepped back again, shaking her head with some unseen vindication.

Suddenly, there was a  _poof_  sound and a simultaneous thick billow of grey smoke where she'd just been standing. The smoke cleared on the breeze, revealing he stood alone on the rooftop.

He looked around, confused and finally shit out of luck.

She just up and…

_Vanished?_

Into  _smoke_? Like…  _poof_?!

That  _tacky_ …

_Purple-headed…_

_Fucking!_

_Ninja!_

Zoro raised his hands behind his head as if to relax but just tugged at his hair painfully.

A second chance, another miss.

_Fuck_!

* * *

Fiore's clone puffed out of existence, its experiences assimilating with the original Fiore who lurked below, in the shadow of the tavern.

_Tch_.  _Too easy. Pirates weren't shit._

She created the clone to send the swordsman in the wrong direction as soon as she stepped out the door. All the idiot had needed to do was turn around before he clambered up to the roof, and he'd have seen her with her back to the wall of the tavern, in plain sight.

Fiore held back a wave of bitterness, but the sentiment broke through anyway.

_Too little, too late_.

She shook it off because it was pointless now.

In any case, it was in everyone's mutual interest to stay uninvolved. Parting ways was for was for the best, despite what Luffy said.

Zoro did them all a favor, whether they realized it or not, because she wasn't sure she had the will-power to walk away from people like the Straw Hats without his rough shove.

* * *

Nami wasn't happy to see Zoro when he returned to brood up and down the deck of the Sunny.

The Straw Hats had been hopeful that their wandering swordsman intended to find and make up with Fi before it was too late. Instead, he was in full sulking mode when he managed to find the docks again in the late afternoon— _alone_. Nami just barely tolerated the fuming, green bumblebee, encouraged by the fact that he was so obviously  _miserable_.

Well,  _good_.

Maybe he was finally joining the rest of them in this place called reality, where everyone who wasn't Zoro recognized that  _Zoro_  had it  _bad_  for the pretty ninja.

It wasn't all that complicated, from Nami's perspective.

His initial distrust of Fi was understandable. The ninja  _was_  terrifying, but Nami and the rest soon saw her for who she was—a girl on her own in the world, trying to change the hand she was dealt and live with the skeletons in her closet. Who on the seas  _didn't_ have issues?

Zoro's perpetual cynicism and disapproval was old news for everyone except the ninja, who didn't seem interested in reconciling or seeing past the man's bad attitude to his eternally concealed, squishier side. He didn't  _show_  it, of course, but the man had tells the crew knew well.

But what truly shocked Nami and the rest of the crew?

When it came to Fi, Zoro's ceaseless scowling occasionally gave way to some twitchy, painful form of  _pining_!

It was a foreign mode for the moss-head, but Nami  _liked_  such a pitiable look on his face. It humanized him in a novel but good way.

Zoro was larger than life to the crew, including her, and not just because he was an immovable machine of a swordsman. It may have been easy to get a rise out of the man when it came to trivial things, and apparently cute ninja, but he was  _unflappable_ in more important ways. Zoro was clear-sighted when it came right and wrong, regardless of his bestial reputation. He was a decisive leader and beyond dependable—stalwart to a fault. Nami was happy the marimo affected on a deeper level.

And for Fi's part, even with her unobtrusive behavior and kept disposition, the crew all came to recognize her smoldering air and thinly-veiled assertiveness. Nami wasn't sure the girl even knew how often she rolled her eyes! Even injured and quiet, Fi had a queenly air about her.

The charged energy between the two strong egos was obvious to even Chooper and Luffy! No one was  _surprised_  the ninja affected their macho marimo. Having a crush on Fi looked  _good_  on Zoro, and it was good  _for_ him.

And if Zoro had gotten over himself, they'd have made one hell of a match. Yet, even after the man  _knew_  he was a royal ass, the stubborn fool clung to his flimsy disfavor and didn't resolve things with the ninja.

Then…

Fi left. And Zoro didn't bring her back.

So, everyone left him to sulk.

Maybe he deserved it. At least for a little while.

Sanji broke first, bless him, because the damn gentle-cook couldn't stand to watch someone suffer. Not even Zoro.

He went out of his way to bitch at the sullen, green slug for leaving his wet towel on the floor of the washroom again. The blonde  _knew_  was futile—all knew Zoro's domestic manners, or lack of, and everyone had already given up on trying to teach him any new tricks.

Sanji sparred with the idiot to distract him for a while, but even that resulted in Zoro simply throwing himself into a moody nap in the damn middle of the lawn deck.

Nami paused her tending of a tangerine tree when she noticed Robin give in next.

Not one to stand on ceremony, Robin walked up to Zoro, knelt down next to him, and shook his knee.

"Zoro. ZORO."

He snorted himself awake like a wild boar as he sat up. "Zzz…QQUUAHHGKK—wh—what? Robin? Everything okay?"

Subtly, Sanji slipped out to the second-story balcony of aquarium bar, quietly lighting a cigarette and leaning on the railing, also listening in.

Robin was point-blank. "Are you upset because the ninja is gone?"

" _No_."

She eyed him.

"I'm not  _upset._ " He clarified.

Again, Robin silently waited him out.

Zoro folded like a cheap suit, throwing his hands up in defeat. "We threatened each other a few time. And it was  _fine_. But then what? What'd I do to her anyway?!"

Robin's voice was patient. "You criticized her in front of everyone then shunned her for two weeks straight. Why  _did_  you save her, Zoro, if only to treat her as such?"

"I didn't  _save_..." He quipped irritably but slowed his roll. "Back at that last island, when the Marines were after us? I didn't really  _save_  her. I was only being fair."

"You said she was killing herself fighting soldiers, right?" Robin was  _so_  benevolent. "And you brought her to Chopper, too. That's  _two_  big saves."

His green eyebrows furrowed. "Well, it's kind of irrelevant."

Robin blinked, finally raising her eyebrows. "How's it irrelevant?"

Zoro just shifted uncomfortably. "She was only in trouble with the Marines 'cause,  _uh_ , they thought she knew us,  _er_ … me, ' _pirate hunter_ ' and all."

"And why would they think that?"

"I- _ah_ , I guess it's probably because the whole Marine battleship thing." He shrugged lamely. "It would have been _fine_ if she didn't  _fight_  me on it. But she had to go and pass out, then of  _course_  they'd think we were friends, 'cause I had her to drag her around over my shoulder while I was takin' care of the soldiers and battleship."

Nami couldn't hold back her annoyance as she shouted down from the garden deck. "Wait,  _what_?! What happened?! I know we got chased off by the Marines, but there was more to it?!"

"Not  _really_... I hit a Marine, she hit a Marine. Then there were more Marines. It was  _fine_ —I sank the battleship before things got too sketchy!"

Nami inhaled to dare him to say  _'fine'_  one more time, but Robin waved at her to placate her. Before Robin could say anything, however, Sanji called out from above.

"It's so simple you damn, dumb Neanderthal. The  _problem_  is  _you_ —always was! You got her in trouble, got her hurt, then treated her like she's got rabies or something. I ought to flay you for having more bicep than brain! And I told you to  _fix it_ , shithead!"

Openly upset, Sanji marched back inside and slammed the door behind him.

"Well, besides all that, what was her  _deal_?" Zoro grumbled.

"Who knows? Not us. And if we part ways with Fi here…" Robin shrugged. She sat back on her heels, standing and smoothing out the front of her long, cotton dress. She waved it off as she walked away from the swordsman. "We certainly will never know what her deal is…"

"She'd have made a terrible pirate." He objected, almost petulant.

From his place on the stairs, Franky sounded affronted. "Fi would have made a  _suuuper_  excellent pirate."

Nami didn't even know Franky was there. She looked around to see Brook idling nearby, too.

After that, everyone left Zoro alone again.

It was his decision whether he continued to angry-pout or actually did something productive.

* * *

None of what they said mattered much to Zoro.  _Maybe_  they had a few valid points, but  _whatever_. That wasn't what bothered him. His mind kept circling back to  _one_  thing about the whole damn situation that made him restless as hell.

Fi saw  _contempt_  if she looked to him?

And how dare she lump him in with ' _everyone,'_ as if he was just  _anyone_!


	6. Reactive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A voice in the back of his head, rational and suspiciously Robin-like, warned Zoro against starting a fist fight with a ninja.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Maayyybe I should warn you that I plan to fulfill alllllll the tropes. I have a bigger plot outlined too, but yeah. The beauty of fics. Indulging myself.

 

* * *

Zoro left the Sunny before dinner to search for the ninja. He figured— _hoped_ —she was still in town to rest before setting out again.

He first checked the tavern at which he saw her earlier that day. As anticipated, the barkeep had neither seen her again nor had any idea where she went. After that, he let his senses carry him. He searched all the inns and businesses where he thought a ninja may fit in and checked any place that resembled the taverns where he'd coincidentally ran into her twice. Along the way, he asked around—' _anyone seen a purple-haired ninja girl? Small, kinda icy?_   _Bunch of piercings?'_

Most people looked at him like he was crazy and responded in the negative. Then,  _finally_ , one elderly lady selling mangoes recalled seeing the girl Zoro described!

"Ah, yes, yes... Peculiar hair, like yours!" The granny gave a crackly laugh at her own observation.

"Wait, really?!" Zoro felt a flood of hopefulness. "Do you know where she was headed? Can you point me in her direction?"

" _Mmh._ That depends." The granny sobered, eyes narrowing. "What's your business with her?"

"I,  _ah_ , I need to talk to her. " Zoro's jaw clenched briefly, but decided on the truth. "She's mad at me."

The granny pursed her lips in disapproval. "I don't think I should send a big bloke like you after her, especially one that upset her already. You just  _seem_  like the clueless type."

"Look, I'm trying to make things  _right_  with her—that's all." Zoro scratched his head, growing impatient. "I tried to apologize, but she just took off! I'm not clueless, but the girl doesn't exactly make things easy."

" _Easy_?" She granny raised her eyebrows. "You're in for a rude surprise, young man."

"Look, granny, can you tell me which way she went or not?" Zoro grit his teeth together. "I'm in a hurry to find her."

The old lady scrutinized him with a look Zoro recognized.

"I know she's pint-sized,  _heh_ , but  _I'm_  the one at risk here." He smirked. "The thing can take care of herself."

"Well, I can  _see_ she deserves an apology from you." The old woman gave a small sigh. "The girl asked where she would find reasonable accommodations for a night. I told her to try over in the eastern district. Ask around over there."

"Thanks a bunch, granny!"

Zoro turned excitedly, taking off at a quick pace. He didn't get very far before the old lady's voice stopped him.

"I said the  _eastern_  district—you're going the wrong way!"

He growled to himself as he switched directions and gave the granny one last wave.

_Now… how to catch a shifty ninja that hates your guts…_

* * *

Zoro approximated the "eastern" district, but yet again, no one had seen a girl matching Fi's description. He was roving around a large, open-air market when he ran into fellow Straw Hats.

" _ZorooOOOO_!"

The rubber idiot slammed into Zoro as he bounced in from hell knows where, doing hell knows what, howling like a goddamn gibbon at dawn.

Luffy and Zoro tumbled to the ground, somersaulting a few times due to the impact.

"Fuc—LUFFY, NO— _ACK_!"

Luffy ignored his first-mate's complaints as he stood, grabbing Zoro by the collar of his open coat and hauling him up with him.

"Have you tried the dumplings over there?! They are great!"

"No! Why would—" Zoro shook his head. "I'm not here to eat!"

"Well, if it isn't the delinquent moss-ball." Sanji drawled, all acidic as he approached with a measured gait.

After more unpleasant greetings, the shitty cook shuffled them off to a side alley where they could converse privately.

"So, what's the wandering bastard doing off the Sunny unsupervised?"

" _Shutup dumbass_. I'm looking for… for,  _uh_ …" Zoro rolled his shoulders and tilted his head to crack his neck as he braced himself and admitted it. "The fuckin' ninja,  _okay_? I'm looking for purple girl."

Sanji made a very lazy attempt to cover his shit-eating grin by lighting a cigarette as he spoke. "And why would you,  _heheheh_ , be looking for ' _the fuckin' ninja_ ,' whose name is  _Fiore_  you disrespectful lout."

'I know her _name_ , you shitty curly-Q."  _As if he could get it out of his damn head_! "Why the hell do you think I'm looking for  _Fi-or-ee_?"

Luffy tilted his head and stuck his finger in his nose. " _Awww_ , why you gotta keep pickin' on Fi?"

He ground his teeth. "I'm not  _pickin'_  on her, idiot!  _Ugh!_ "

With undisguised irritation, Zoro turned from the pair and started to talk away.

"Ooooh! I know!" Luffy called out. "Sanji, let's help! I want to find Fi, too! Maybe she'll join us if Zoro asks her!"

Zoro stopped and turned back around to face them, grinding his molars together.

Sanji was still grinning in a way that promised he would lord this over Zoro for eternity, and Luffy just beamed like a happy disaster per usual.

_Goddammit._

"Do whatever you want." Zoro grumbled as he turned as walked away again.

The other two Straw Hats followed after him, immediately starting an argument about the best way to catch a ninja. After Zoro relayed his master plan to snag the ninja's attention, Luffy bound towards another food stall and Sanji used the transponder snail to let the others know they might be out for a long while and not to worry.

Zoro studiously ignored the twinge of gratitude he felt for his fellow monsters, knowing they would more than make up for it by eventually driving him to insanity.

* * *

Zoro, Luffy, and Sanji asked around about the ninja for the rest of the day, talking to anyone who would listen. They physically searched for her well into the morning hours of the next day, too, but their effort turned up no ninja. Now, the monster trio reconvened on a low rooftop near the center of town. They were feeling pretty down and out. Not a hint, no trace... As if she was actually a damn ghost.

_Shitty ninja._

Zoro's plan to draw her out had failed.

" _Dammit_ … She must have left town already." Zoro muttered, watching the horizon as he let his open eye adjust to the light of pre-dawn.

He wondered how mad everyone would be if he asked them to wait on him while he hunted her down, but.. _. How do ya find a ninja-ghost?_ She was far from ordinary, and tracking her wouldn't be a trivial task.

Without warning, he heard a highly conspicuous * _poof*_  noise from a few feet away.

Zoro whirled around, turning on his heel so fast he startled the other two Straw Hats—they struck comically similar poses, eyes wide and arms half-raised in alarm and confusion.

The smoke quickly dissipated, leaving him face-to-face with none other than  _Fiore_  herself!

_Fuck!_

His heart pounded, frustration and relief flooding him at the same time. Zoro threw his hands up. " _Do you have any fucking idea how hard it is to find you?!_ "

"It shouldn't be  _easy_ , dumbass. I am a  _ninja_." Fi was acting as serious and passive as ever, but Zoro could see the boil of emotion behind her keen eyes as her jaw flexed. Her gaze shifted to where Luffy and Sanji stood, still struck stupid. "What do you guys need? Is something wrong?"

Luffy thawed, only to get gleeful stars in his eyes at the ninja fuckery. "How… did… wha _aAA_ —"

"Oi!" Zoro's voice cut in again, leaning into Fi's line of sight. " _Don't dismiss me so casually!_  I spent all day and night looking for you!"

"We helped—o _uch!_ " Luffy started excitedly, until Sanji stepped on his foot.

"Can it, captain." Sanji chided. He turned his azure gaze on Fiore. "He may not act better than a bipedal baboon, but Fiore-swan, you deserve  _some_  kind of apology."

Fi seemed to grind her teeth at Sanji's words, but she looked at Zoro again anyway.

Zoro scoffed at the way she was still  _trying_ to act all calm. "Why the hell will you listen to the _shit-cook_ , but not me?"

His words had the desired effect; the indifference was melting from her features by the second. Emotion suited her so much more than a blank face!

"I woke up to find that some unbelievably  _loud-mouthed_  mother fucking  _pirates_  were announcing that a purple-haired— _icy?_ — _ninja_  was in town." She practically seethed. "Do you understand how dangerous that is, or is that the point?"

Zoro figured it was risky to describe a secretive ninja so openly to so many strangers, but he knew she could handle herself at any rate. He held his ground. "It wouldn't be an issue if you didn't disappear so fast yesterday!"

Indifferent visage definitely forgotten, she leaned in aggressively, full-on death glaring. " _Wow_. A man feels entitled to my attention and time.  _How novel_."

Zoro's face heated as he met her hostility, speaking through clenched teeth. "I just wanted a goddamn  _chance_ to set things right, Fi! But you took off! You just—" Zoro raised his clenched fists in front of his face and quickly opened his hands in an emphatic gesture and angry imitation. " _POOF!_ "

Her amethyst eyes cut deeper than her kunai. "Learn to live with your choices and their consequences,  _Zoro_."

He finally felt a little righteousness leave him, knowing that half-assed ' _sorry'_  from yesterday wouldn't cut it with her. He owed her more than that. He  _knew_  was acting entitled, but  _dammit_ , he just needed to get through to her!

Suddenly, she turned from him and was several steps away far too quickly.

Expecting her behavior this time, he lurched forward and grabbed her, curling his hand around her bicep none too gently. Her muscle flexed like stone against his hand as she tensed.

" _No_. I want to figure this out."

With a strange slowness that didn't fit her usual pattern, she looked to his offending hand, then back to his face. Her expression turned every bit as chilly and lethal as when she fought those unknown pirates recently.

"Let. Me. Go."

Zoro knew she avoided skin-to-skin contact, and this was an escalation that he'd not intended. At least she was still face-to-face with him.

He punctuated each syllable to mimic her. "Don't. Run. Away."

There was a twitch of movement as she twisted funny against his grip and gave a little spin. Suddenly, she stood behind him, pinning his hand at the small of his back as she crunched his palm towards his forearm in a painful way.

"It wasn't a request." She wrenched his hand and shoulder in an agonizing way, making him bow backwards to prevent her from actually snapping his wrist like a twig. She leaned in closely, speaking in his ear with a low voice. "Move on. I have."

All the pressure was gone, and she swiftly moved away again.

"You're totally blowing it, Zoro." Luffy spoke up unhelpfully, picking his nose but actually paying more attention than usual.

Zoro had enough of watching her back. " _NO_! I refuse! Stop and  _listen_  to me, witch!"

She stopped moving but didn't turn back to face him.

"None of this shit matters, and what you're thinking is wrong." His hand automatically clenched tightly around the hilt of Wado at his side. "So just come back to the Sunny already!"

He stood there, huffing and feeling ridiculous. But it was  _true_.

Fi finally looked at him over her shoulder, and whatever she saw made her turn and square up to him again. Her fists clenched, and her features were alight with vitality for once, but she looked  _furious_ as she stomped back towards him!

" _Oooh_  that's  _IT_! I'm going to kick your stupid green ass from here to your  _GRAVE!_  You make me  _SO_ mad, you lousy pirate, you shitty, second-rate swordsman!"

_"Wha_ …?  _I_ make  _YOU_ mad?!" Zoro felt exasperated. "And no! I can't  _fight_  you!"

Sanji took a lazy drag of his cigarette, eying Zoro. "Don't you think you're overestimating yourself, moss head?"

Zoro rounded on the blonde. "Oh, like you'd— _OOMFHH!_ "

Zoro barely had the words out of his mouth before a small but sharp, painful fist connected with diaphragm, knocking him breathless and backwards a few steps as he stumbled to maintain his balance in the wake of her iron punch.

"I wasn't asking permission,  _jackass_!" Quick as lightning, she swept a leg out and kicked his knees out from under him, sending him tumbling to the ground with a forceful shove. "You learn the hard way, don't you?"

He looked up at her, still trying to catch his breath from her punch—his  _insides_  still hurt, for shit's sake! " _Now?_ You're injured!"

In answer, she leaned forward and roughly grabbed him by the front of his shirt, hauling him to his feet with surprising ease despite said injury. She shoved at his chest, barring her fangs and daring him.

"Damned if I don't feel better already, and I've only hit you once! Ready, asshole?"

Probably he should avoid close-range combat with a ninja, but he did  _not_  like to be shoved around by  _anyone_. She wanted to solve this with violence, needed to fight it out?  _Fine!_

They lunged at one another at the same time.

As they connected, Zoro's is body weight won over hers as he tackled her roughly to the ground.

She grappled against him as they turned over one another several times, crunching along the cement rooftop. He tried to hold her down, but god _damn_! Fi landed on top of him and jammed a knee into his abdomen to painfully pin him down as she swiftly threw a mean hook straight into his jaw. She moved too quickly to avoid it and  _shit!_

The girl did  _not_  pull her punch, not even slightly!

She pinned his wrists with her hands on either side of his head, glaring down at him, alight with fury. "Still think you're too good to fight me, you shitty pirate?!"

He smirked at her through the throb of his face.  _Fiore had passion in spades._ And he  _liked_ it.

"I think you're too small to fight me,  _Fi-or-e_." He admitted as he muscled forward against her straining arms.

He gave a grunt of effort as he heaved her off him, shoving her so hard that it launched her backwards. He sprang to his feet as she gave an effortless kip-up. They circled one another slowly.

"And you're too simple,  _Zo-ro_."

His name turned her lips into an evil, little grin, and it made him  _shiver_.

Fi rushed in, and he blocked her first two rapid punches. But yet again, before he could make his own attack, she got inside his guard by unexpectedly twisting his blocking arm and spinning closer!

He tensed his abdomen, prepared for another iron punch. Instead, the heel of her foot connected with the underside of his chin, even as she remained totally upright!

_How…!_  Near as powerful as Sanij any day, and even more flexible—but _fuggin' OUCH!_ What the fuck was  _happening?!_  The weight of her hits did  _not_  match her size!

She shifted again and put her momentum into a sternum-crushing elbow.

He barely turned in time to avoid the full force of it, and she  _still_  landed a glancing blow on the outside of his rib cage. The slight cracking noise that accompanied the stab of pain wasn't a great sign, but  _holyshit—_ he liked the fierce look on her face right now. A willfullness rivaling his captain's shone through crystal clear.

She danced back, and despite that he hadn't made an attack yet, she gripped her injured shoulder as she waited for another opening.

He spit a mouthful of blood from her kick. "Rip those stitches yet?"

She clenched her jaw with an audible growl, and honestly, maybe he had a new kink. Zoro really shouldn't be enjoying her ferocity so much.

They charged one another at full-force, but she blurred to the side before he could tackle her again.

_Dammit, too fast_!

His eyes widened as he barely registered her intent in time to dodge. He turned and jerked away, just avoiding her kunai by a scant inch.

_W-was she aiming for his damn KIDNEY?!_

On his sideways trajectory, he drew Shusui to block her follow-up attack, but she didn't come as he expected. Blood began darkening the white bandages on her shoulder. She pressed her hand to it again, as if to obscure the deepening red stain.

"You're moving in slow motion. You can't beat me in a fist fight,  _shithead_."

He growled softly, but she was right, and if he didn't finish this quickly, she really would end up maiming one or both of them.

Wordlessly, seriously, he drew Sandai Kitetsu too, and reinforced both swords with onyx armament haki. He sharpened his awareness of his observation haki at the same time.

She actually  _smirked_  as she plucked one more kunai from the leather pouch on her thigh, spinning both on the index fingers of each hand briefly before palming them tightly. It caused blood to pool and seep slowly from under her bandages. Both her hands started to glow that same blue-green he'd seen from her once before.

Her chuckle was, hands down,  _malicious_. " _Finally,_ the dumbass gets it."

They raced toward one another and kunai met sword, blades making metallic sheering sounds as they bounced off one another several dozen times within the minute.

They disengaged briefly, both panting and circling for a better opening, waiting for the other to slip up.

His good eye was threatening to swell shut from her earlier hit. Her arm was dripping with blood from her shoulder wound, coating her right hand and kunai.

Zoro met Fi as she rushed in again, albeit more rashly this time.  _Was she losing her patience_?

After another back-and-forth parry, their attempted murder ended in a precarious stalemate. They strained against one another, vying for leverage.

_He could out-muscle her, sure, but then what?_ She was too fast still, and he'd just end up on defense again.  _And this was all nonsense anyway—it pissed him off!_

Face-to-face, he didn't hold back his frustration, the effort of holding her back made him sound extra gruff. "Why didn't you come at me back then? We could have cleared the air two weeks ago if you hadn't bottled everything up!"

"I'm not going to chase after you to show you I matter!" For once, her emotions were obvious and raw. "I don't need your approval!"

She shoved forward with renewed anger, only to retreat a few meters.

Fi was losing color in her face, and Zoro wasn't surprised. With their fighting, her warm, sticky blood had even managed to splatter on the hilt of Shusui at some point.

"I already told you." He spoke in a low, dangerous tone. "Come back to the Sunny."

Surprising him, she quickly pocketed her kunai in her thigh holster, her fervent amethyst eyes never leaving his, absolutely still in fight-mode. She grit her teeth and channeled absolute animosity at him as her glowing bluish-green fists transformed to a deep onyx.

_This girl..._

Fi shot forward faster than he could actually track visually, but with his observation haki, he still managed to block her first punch with Shusui. But as before, her skills in this kind of combination, hand-to-hand fighting were better than his by  _leagues_. She was still too much for him close up like this, even injured.

S _hit_.

Her follow-up left cross landed so wild and hard that his head snapped back as his nose crunched painfully, giving him momentary whiplash. A second and third jab, both delivered so rapidly and in the same way, had him _stumbling_  back.

He managed to block her admittedly slower fourth punch with Sandai, but then her armament haki faded away form her fists, so Zoro dropped his swords. He quickly grabbed her upper arms to stop her assault as he fell backwards and dragged her down with him.

Fi landed on top of him, both making  _oomfh_ sounds.

She still strained against him, but he held her tightly so she couldn't hit him anymore  _goddammit!_

Suddenly, Sanji's voice cut in as the cook's hands pried Zoro's arms from around the ninja and lifted her weight off him.

"I can't bear this anymore! Fi, you've made your point! Now,  _please_  let me tend to your shoulder!"

Luffy butted in too. "Zorooo! Are you finished?!"

Zoro wasn't sure if she left him with a shred of dignity. Did his lungs still work? He wheezed a breath.  _Kinda_. Pain seared his ribs where she elbowed him.

He rolled to his stomach then rose to his knees, spitting out another mouthful of blood. " _Tch_ , 'course not!"

"Fi?! Fiore, come on! Take it easy, okay? We need to get you back to Chopper now!"

Sanji's tone set Zoro on edge again, though for a different reason. The evil girl was  _still_  glaring at Zoro, but she looked increasingly faded as Sanji held her back. " _I'm not done with him._ "

Zoro squinted at her through the swelling on his face. "Right back to where you started. Bleeding and barking."

She growled and lunged at him, apparently finding a reserve of strength to pull away from Sanji and give Zoro one last kick in the gut before going down on a knee.

Luffy laughed and threw a rubbery arm out to stop Zoro's backward trajectory.

"Dumb  _bastard_." Fi insulted.

Zoro attempted to mock her again, but that only caused him to keel forward and hack up a little more blood. "Vicious  _bitch_."

" _Watch it, marimo_." Sanji caught Fi around the waist again to keep her upright as he chided Zoro for his language, but the ninja still struggled in Sanji's grip, still trying to get at Zoro again.

"Don't forget that." She spat back venomously, ignoring the cook and pushing to her feet again.

" _Fiore_  my dear, for the love of the All Blue,  _please…_ "

Fi stopped pushing and just stood there, huffing for a beat. Finally,  _finally_ … the girl passed out entirely.

Zoro started forward to catch her, but Sanji reacted faster, and Luffy ended up catching Zoro's faltering steps anyway.

Sanji gently adjusted her in his arms so he could carry her. The cook took in her angry expression with both worry and amusement, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Well,  _damn_."

Zoro didn't really like Sanji's closeness. "Keep your hands—"

Twirly glared at him, offended. "I'll kick your ass next if you're not careful what you imply, you big dumb gorilla."

Luffy grinned and wasn't even slightly gentle as he helped Zoro hobble along, presumably in the direction of the ship. He chattered excitedly about ' _did you see this, did you see that,'_  and blah _blah!_

"YES,  _ack_ —" Zoro snapped irritably through the odd wetness in his lungs. What the hell did she _do_ to him? "S _HUDDUP_ ,  _Luffy!_ "

* * *

Back on the ship, the other Straw Hats showed abject horror when the monster trio showed up with a bloodied Fiore and beat up Zoro.

Sanji gently laid Fiore directly on the deck so Chopper, who already had his emergency bag at the ready, could tend to her right away.

At Chopper's request to examine him too, Zoro dropped down heavily on the deck next to Fi. Regrettably, his weight thumped close to the ninja, and it must have startled her back to awareness.

Her eyes fluttered open unexpectedly, a wild look in her eye. She tried to sit up, but when that was obviously not going to happen, she wasted no time in rolling towards Zoro to deliver one last elbow right into his solarplex.

" _Uffh!_ " He rolled away from her, hardly able to catch his breath as he rasped. "You horrible  _ninja_!"

"Smelly, shit  _pirate_!"

" _You're the one who hasn't bathed for two weeks!_ " He rolled towards her again, grabbing and holding her foot as she tried to kick him in the balls. " _You_  stink, you purple-headed  _monster_!"

"Least I don't have a head of rotting  _seaweed_!"

Sanji and Chopper pulled them apart again, even as Zoro and Fi continued to growl death threats and insults at one another.

"Least seaweed is  _natural_!"

" _I'm gonna kill you!_ "

"Try it, half-pint!"

Suddenly, Fi inhaled sharply, sucking air through her teeth in a hiss as Chopper started pulling at her shoulder. The girl stilled, muttering. "Shitty cyclops swordsman."

Zoro quietly panted, rolling onto his back again, feeling the fight leave him since Chopper's ministrations obviously hurt her. " _Shuddup._ "

He rolled his head towards her to watch as Chopper inspected the damage. It was bleeding, but not bad like before. She laid in a small pool of her own blood, too weak to move. Zoro laid not quite next to her, also bloodied and beaten. It was funny, in truth.

"Hope you got that out of your system."

She panted in pain but still turned her head to meet Zoro's half-swollen eye. "Not a chance."

He breathed a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a wheeze. "Why ain't I surprised?"

Once last time, she tried to roll and reach out to hit him, but she was unconscious even before Chopper could stop her progress. Her hand limply fell to the deck.

He let his eyes close but double-checked. "Chopper?"

"She's okay. She popped her stitches, but she's totally weakened from not eating or sleeping properly."

All that while weakened.

_Heh—what a woman._

Zoro clenched his jaw shut, trying to avoid smiling and thinking too much, but their fist-fight had him unable to deny it anymore. He was  _not_  sorry for being taken in by her.

A nap was in order.


	7. Elicit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the encouragement on the first handful of chapters, yall are kind :)

 

* * *

Zoro briefly woke when Chopper began treating his swollen face.

He was still on the deck of the Sunny, still lying next to the unconscious, bloodied ninja. Someone had stood a deck umbrella nearby to shade them.

The sting of the doctor's antiseptic faded to a numb tingle across his skin, and he remained quiet, letting the heat of mid-day lull him into another relaxing siesta as Chopper patched him up.

A while later, Zoro stirred, scratching at the itchy medical tape across the skin of his nose. He dug at its edges to peel it off.

"Don't even think about it, Zoro!" Chopper scolded him from his seat across the deck, on the shaded bench encircling the center mast.

Zoro sat up and shot the doctor a dirty look.  _Bossy kid_.

He turned his eyes down to the female sprawled next to him, who seemed to frown at him even now. Pale, with dark circles under her eyes, she still looked entirely capable of becoming a hellion.

"Why does she still look so pissed off?"

"Because you're hopeless." Sanji lazed on the bottom steps of a nearby staircase, cigarette in hand as usual. "You're like  _willfully_  stupid at this point. Who starts a fist fight with a  _ninja_?"

" _Oi_." Zoro objected. "Says the man knowingly inhaling cancer. And  _I_  didn't start it."

"Well, you definitely deserved it." The cook turned an eye to Fi. "She may be quite a bit to handle."

Sanji's observation reminded Zoro of both Ace's and Sabo's remarks about Luffy. Hopefully that's where any captain-ninja similarities ended.

" _Great_. Another wild one."

Chopper chimed in unhelpfully. "I can't believe she kicked your ass!"

Zoro was unimpressed. "It wasn't a proper fight, doesn't count."

Sanji chuckled, then started laughing. "She— _hahahaha_ … _"_  He started gauffing into his hand so hard he was almost crying. "She kicked your ass  _ahaha_  so _hard_!"

"Pull yourself together, you overgrown chimp." Zoro muttered.

He glared at the cackling pervert for a moment, but his mind went back to the fight.

He involuntarily recollected the fervent energy she let loose on him, and his attraction hit him in the gut again. Well _, shit_. No use denying that shit to himself anymore.

He would absolutely deny it to everyone else, obviously.

Distracting himself from  _that_ troublesome sentiment, he reflected on the mechanics of their bout.

Given her injury and sapped energy, she couldn't go all out, so neither did Zoro. Even so, he didn't keep up with her very well. Fortunately, he still learned about her fighting style—Fi was aggressive and used her speed to force him into defense for the entire bout.

Next time, Zoro would keep up and stay out of her dangerous reach.

He looked forward to watching her spar with Luffy—she'd use captain rubber-brain as her punching bag 'til he got his ass into second gear.

Thinking of his captain, he noted it was suspiciously quiet around the Sunny.

"Where is everyone?"

"Robin, Brook, Franky, and Usopp are cleaning Fiore's new room and making furniture, so she can have her own stuff!" Chopper supplied happily. "Nami and Luffy are in town getting Fi some clothes and other supplies... Sanji went too, but Nami got really mad at him for some reason and made him come home!"

"Shut it, mutton." Sanji bellyached as he stood and stretched his arms over. "I'm going to prepare a special meal for tonight, when Fiore is awake."

"She'll hate the attention."

Zoro honestly meant it as a warning, but the words sounded too satisfied. The thought of her squirming helped mend his cracked rib.

"That's why it's a  _secret_  celebration." The blond conspired as he made for the galley. "We're not all as cruel as you, marimo, so don't make it unduly obvious."

Zoro felt a peculiar ache as he realized things with Fi would be different this time. She was really going to  _sail_  with them.

He wondered what her habits were, when she wasn't a total recluse.

How did the ninja train? Would she start sitting with them for meals? Was Fi a morning or night ninja? Zoro considered which chore she'd hate the most…  _Cleaning the bathroom_ , he bet with himself. The girl shied from many strong smells, and this crew was  _foul_ —both Luffy and Usopp still considered baths optional.

"Are you okay, Zoro?" Chopper worried. "You look weird… Are you dizzy at all?"

He pushed to his feet with a grunt. "I'm good. Can I move her?"

"Sure! We left her here so she wouldn't get sea-sick below deck." Chopper explained. "I gave her a mild sedative to help her rest and fixed her stitches. If she's careful this time, she'll bounce back faster."

"She doesn't actually get sea sick, you know." He revealed to the doctor.

Chopper shrugged, and Zoro realized the doc had already figured that out yet didn't call her on it.  _Such a kind kid._

He squatted down next to the little ninja and scooped her up gingerly, one arm behind her knees and another under her narrow shoulders. He half expected her to suddenly revive and punch him again.

Zoro's own injuries smarted as he carried her to the Sunny's interior, but he considered himself lucky since his head continued facing the proper direction.  _Eesh_.

In the men's quarters—just like the first time—he laid her down, made her comfortable, and retreated to the adjacent wall for another snooze.

This time, he was cognizant of the embarrassing decision to let her sleep it off in his bunk, but the gesture was symbolic  _dammit_.

* * *

Zoro perked up at the quiet curses of an irritated ninja. He cracked open an eye to watch her wrestle with the blanket in which she had cocooned herself.

"You really like ruining stitches, don't you?"

Apparently not surprised at Zoro's presence this time around, she merely sighed and resigned herself to a horizontal position.

"You really are an ass, aren't you?"

"Obviously."

He stood stiffly and went to her, holding his hand out to her, hoping she resented the assistance even if she needed it. The girl didn't disappoint.

" _Thanks_." She muttered sarcastically, wrinkling her nose at him in displeasure as she took his hand.

Zoro helped her hop down from his bunk, aiding her movement with a hand on her waist. She steadied herself with one hand in his and the other on his shoulder.

He studiously ignored the shitty warmth from the simple contact and the stupid way she seemed to glow in the golden evening light.

Standing by her somewhat awkwardly, he observed her as she adjusted her disheveled clothes and hair. He turned his words over in his head, trying to form the sudden question he had for her.

She looked up and pinned him with her heliotrope eyes.

"What's on your mind?"

He chickened out, not actually able to ask for what he wanted to know. Instead, he shrugged and motioned for her to follow him out of the room.

"Just that Chopper said that you better not move around a lot, or else."

"Or else…  _what_?" She wondered dryly, skepticism clear.

Zoro narrowed his eyes and looked over at her as they moved through the ship.

"Or else he'll lock you up in the infirmary and throw away the key, on the count of being more obstinate than Nami."

She challenged him with a side-eye as they walked. "So, no kicking your ass for a while?"

"Not now, not ever." He warned firmly. "I won't go all easy again."

She was unconcerned. "I'll still put you on the ground."

They rounded on the galley, where the other Straw Hats listened to the colorful duo bicker as they approached, the previous week's somber tension exchanged for physical threats.

"Go ahead and gloat now." He warned. "I'll put you in your place next time."

"Sure, sure." She waved him off. "Feel free to try."

"Don't misjudge me, you tacky idiot!" He could sense _the breath of all things_ , dammit!

The two sat at the end of the table closest to the door, taking places across from one another.

"You're being ironic, right?" She tilted her head as she observed him a few extra beats, a real smile threatening her lips. "Wait...  _Tacky_?"

"I'm callin' you tacky, you smug, purple shit."

Fi pressed her lips together, clearly trying to hide her haughty amusement, much to Zoro's chagrin.

Suddenly, she glanced around to the other Straw Hats, probably feeling their stares. She cleared her throat and turned a degree more serious.

"Ah,  _eh-hem_. Chopper, thank you for your care. I'll do better this time. Promise. Everyone… Thank you for another ride on the Sunny. It's nice to see you all again." Fi looked to each Straw Haw in turn as she addressed them, but when her eyes fell on Zoro again, she didn't seem to be able to help herself.

"Excuse me— _purple?_ "

Several people responded to her at once.

"Oh, of course!" Chopper blushed with a yell. "And you better be careful!"

"Yeah." Zoro sneered pointedly. " _Purple._ "

Luffy chanted, pumping his fists into the air with each syllable. "Nin-ja! Nin-ja! Nin-ja!"

Fi narrowed her eyes at Zoro for his slight, but her attention was diverted to Nami sitting at her immediate left, who squealed in delight and affectionately leaned into the ninja. Fi tensed a bit but didn't pull away from the navigator as she expressed her relief.

"I'm so glad you're baaaaack! Another woman  _and_ another monster to protect us. Perfect all around!"

"Just for now, Nami. I'll stay on the next island big island we find." She warned gently.

Further down the table, Robin smiled sweetly at Fi. "A monster with abstract reasoning skills, too. Exciting. Poor Sanji has been carrying the trio in that regard, but that's not saying much."

Fi  _actually_  laughed, a quiet sound that struck Zoro like a lightning bolt.

At least he still managed a scowl when her mirthful amethyst gaze found his again.

Sanji started serving food, and the typical meal-time misconduct overtook everyone's attention as things at Luffy's end of the table got frenetic.

Working his way down the table, the shit-cook rounded on Fi with a dumb, squinty-eyed smile and put an extra-large plate with heaps of food in front of her.

"Eat up, love!"

"Thank you, but I don't need this much, Sanji…" She protested.

"My dearest, deadliest swan. It is in your best interest to leave your nutrition to me." His sing-song tone was sweet but stern. "Okay?"

"Sure. What~ _ever_  you say." Fi seemed to enjoy the cook's attempt at a command.

Zoro did  _not_ appreciate the discernable fondness in her expression as she regarded the blonde dirt-bag. All the same, Zoro scoffed at her superiority-complex, which was becoming clearer by the minute.

"Another cheeky fucking ego.  _Great_."

"Says the shit-ape with the worst attitude of all." Sanji quipped in Fi's defense as he rudely slammed a plate full of food in front of Zoro then moved down the table to distribute more plates.

" _Dumbass cook…"_ Zoro complained distractedly, becoming occupied with his own food.

Sanji dropped it too, rounding on Luffy and preemptively smashing the captain's face with his heel—the only sure method for serving the crew closer to the rubber garbage disposal.

"Ah. So, Fi." Robin began with her typical cool enthusiasm. "We prepared your room while you rested after Zoro's ass-kicking."

Zoro inhaled to tell off the smart-aleck and set the record straight, but he also inhaled a chunk of steak and ended up hacking instead.

An arm sprouted from his shoulder and patted him on the back in a  _distinctly_  patronizing manner. He glared at Robin's all-too-innocent smile as he coughed.

"Room?" Fi looked uncomfortable. "I,  _ah_ , don't need... Can't I sleep on a couch… or… something…"

Franky, Usopp, and Brook stridently drowned out Fi's modesty as they simultaneously described the furniture they constructed—a bedframe, wardrobe, desk, and shelves. At the exact same time, Nami, Luffy, and Sanji collectively told Fi about the supplies they picked up for her in town.

Fi tried to protest again, but Usopp and Franky together explained how they have several unoccupied rooms aboard the Sunny and plenty of scrap material to build stuff—it was _"suuuuper no sweat_ ," Franky insisted.

The ninja's dissent waned as she listened to the others excitedly jabber about their arrangements for her.

She quit attempting to thank them or remind them that she was not staying permanently.

Eventually, her congenial hums sounded less agreeable and more disillusioned, as if she was finally seeing the con or something.

_Much_  to Zoro's delight, her cheeks were pink, her eyes were a little too bright, and she was perceptibly twitchy by the end of the meal. It was a good expression for her—she wasn't acting suspicious or uncaring, and Zoro liked her sour grapes attitude all the more for it.

He remembered the overwhelming realization that an entire crew actually wanted you around. It was a feeling best shoved out of mind and off a cliff, but sometimes the others insisted on dragging it into the light and making you feel some kinda way about it all.

Still, it was  _highly_  entertaining to see the fierce little ninja's feathers ruffled by the sheer  _friendliness_  of the crew, now that they could go all out.

Things were not as funny after Curly dramatically presented Fi with a large supply of soft towels and scented soaps, among other frivolous shit— _fucking bubble-bath_ ,  _really_? The pervert openly suggested Fi should think of Sanji when she ' _soaped up._ '

No wonder Nami had banished him to the Sunny.

Fi, for her part, seemed to find only humor in the cook's depraved antics.

W _hy didn't the shitty cook get a rude side-eye or kunai to the gut?_

Zoro itched to cut something, preferably the blonde, so he started fight with the fucker by repeatedly elbowing him when they washed dishes together after the meal.

It helped a little.

* * *

After dinner, Fiore let herself be led by Robin and Nami to the small room they furnished for her. She took it all in with probably poorly disguised astonishment.

She nodded along as Nami showed her the clothes she stocked in the wardrobe. Her selection seemed disproportionately composed of swimwear, but they were, after all, on a pirate ship. She tilted her head as she noticed a pattern among the bikinis.

A smirk tugged at Fi's lips as her fingers pulled at one swimsuit in particular. "You're  _mischievous_ , Nami, but thank you."

The redhead's wide grin and words confirmed her playful intentions. "Oh, let me have some fun!"

" _Fufufu_ —poor Zoro." Robin laughed softly before she gestured to the books and journals on her shelf. "In case you're interested, those describe our past adventures and the places we visited or intend to find."

Fi should have realized the knowledgeable woman kept her own records. She felt decidedly privileged to be privy to her documents. "Thank you, Robin."

The women helped Fi organize all her new supplies but then excused themselves, thoughtfully giving Fi some space. She definitely appreciated it, because their generosity was more than overwhelming.

After years of living on the fringe, she felt confused about her time with the Straw Hats, to say the least.

Fiore sat her the bed provided by the Straw Hats. Her eyes fell on the furniture built by their hands. She looked around at the clothes and toiletries they acquired for her, Even Luffy got something for her—a small animal carving that now sat at the head of her new desk. It was useless junk, but she was fond of it nonetheless.

Not only did the crew go out of their way to provide everything necessary for living comfortably at sea, they carved out a unique space for her in their  _home_.

_Why the hell would they go to this extent?_

Despite that she had grown accustomed to both the warmth and disorderly conduct of the Straw Hats over last few weeks, Fi felt the atmosphere shift after she and Zoro finally confronted one another, like the crew had been merely waiting out Zoro's animosity.

Why did the moss-headed swordsman change his attitude?

Just an hour ago at dinner, Zoro's gaze communicated something more akin to when they first met.

Her first impression of Zoro—all that time ago, on that first dammed island—fulfilled exactly what she expected from the reputed " _demon pirate hunter_." He carried the effortless air and awareness of an apex predator.

Fiore  _liked_  the man's forceful impact, but she walked away, too injured to risk fighting or fucking him.

Then, the damn swordsman had to go and get her tangled up with the marines. She definitely didn't trust a pirate on a whim and an attraction—life wasn't that simple for ninja—but Zoro did whatever the hell Zoro wanted, something she now recognized as simply his nature.

She knew he felt obligated to bring her to the Sunny; the marine debacle  _was_  his fault. Yet, he scorned her.  _If she kept her demons on a short leash, who was Zoro to call her out for having them?_  She resented his astuteness and shored up her own derision.

He didn't  _need_  to treat her like a pariah, but he did, and it forced her hand. Fi left the Sunny.

At least she had previously owned up to Luffy, so she could meet him eye-to-eye in the end. The kid was a goofball and too gullible, but he wasn't  _totally_  clueless. Luffy tactfully pretended not to see her uncharacteristic upset and didn't make a scene when she departed.

After the cathartic release of kicking Zoro around, she was admittedly happy to be back among the Straw Hats. Still, she remained apprehensive for a different reason…

Word that Fiore was travelling with the infamous Straw Hats would reach other ninja—Zoro ensured it with his stunt on the last island.

She felt an anomalous pang of fear for the kind crew.

Her heart sank a little, because staying with them wasn't an option, even after they went to all this trouble for her.

Fi's personal pity-party was interrupted when her ears picked up the heavy thudding of distinct boots across the deck of the Sunny. His lead footsteps grew louder as he stomped down the hall toward her room.

She tilted an ear towards the door to catch any sound indicating why the swordsman hovered just outside her bedroom.

Fi pondered the fact that her heart-rate picked up the longer he waited. He rapped at her door before she got too wrapped up.

"Come in." She called out lightly albeit quickly.

The door knob fumbled then turned, and he opened the door to face her.

" _Hey_."

Zoro's bronzed skin tinged red across the bridge of his nose and high on his cheeks, highlighting the sparse smattering of freckles he'd probably gotten from the sun.

He sounded out of breath, too. Smelled a touch like fresh perspiration…

"Are you okay?"

Zoro's jaw clenched tightly as hesitated by the door with a grumbled answer. "M'fine."

She motioned him over with a nod of her head and patted the bed next to her.

He entered into the room fully, depositing a small box on her desk. She watched curiously as he moved to sit next to her like directed. His posture was stiff, but his words were friendly enough and eye-contact was solid.

"Better than my bunk?"

She suppressed a smile. "Yes and no."

"I, uh, have some extra stuff." He gestured to the box he'd brought, directing her attention to it. "Steel wool, oil, rags…"

She was genuinely speechless as she slowly looked from the box back to the man, assessing him.

"For you weapons." He explained gruffly, ending the pregnant pause. " _Salt ruins steel_."

"I know." She stood, needing to get her eyes off his pink fucking face.

Oh _hoho.._. Fi was not prepared for  _flustered_  Zoro.

She turned and examined the contents of the damn box, which was everything needed to care for her tools. Realizing the heat on her own cheeks wasn't fading anytime soon, she turned quickly, eyes a little wide as she faced him again.

Zoro's jaw audibly snapped shut with a small frown.

" _Thank you_."

His bright eyes gave away his brusqueness. "Uh…  _yeah_."

He swiftly stood and stomped back from whence he came, slamming her door behind him.

Her eyes went back to the box in front of her.

A peace offering.

From  _Zoro_.

Oh... Oh _hoho_.

_Shit._

* * *

Fiore's weapons laid across the protective cloth covering her new desk. Zoro obviously thought of everything she needed for this task, and now her freshly cleaned tools gleamed perfectly next to the dull, grimy ones.

She was still polishing when she heard the tell-tale noises of a fight outside on the deck along with the shrill complaints of Usopp and Chopper. Curious and anticipating entertainment, she stood and made her way topside.

Luffy laughed and wrestled with the reindeer and sharpshooter over what appeared to be a game of cards gone wrong, the latter two not at all impressed with their captain's antics.

Nami and Sanji both turned and offered her their biggest smiles, calling for her to join them where they sat at a small table on the deck.

Fi wondered why they looked so damn excited, but she simply made her way towards them. She hopped up and walked along the starboard railing of the ship as the young boys' antics came a little too close to her—it was damn near  _earsplitting._

She dropped to a seat on the rail as she returned Sanji and Nami's greetings with her own small smile. Nami chatted easily at Fi about the next leg of their voyage, while Sanji fetched a big tray of drinks before rejoining the conversation.

Nami discussed how they would said for about a week to reach a medium-sized island. There, while the log pose reset, they would restock and prepare for a longer voyage of four weeks at sea.

Within a few minutes, Robin joined them at the table, greeting her amicably. She wrote in a leather-bound journal and sipped her drink, chiming in occasionally as Nami and Sanji continued chatting.

Fi remained seated on the starboard railing, staying among them for once, but she eventually fell quiet as she relaxed.

She turned to stretch the length of her legs along the railing and leaned to her uninjured side, supporting herself on her right hand. She sipped the drink Sanji had prepared, a pleasantly biting concoction of rum and a creamy fruit.

The breeze was calm, and the crew had furled the sails and dropped anchor for the evening. The island where she and Zoro fought was visible not so far away—they'd sailed out just to the edge of a treacherous coral reef for a modicum of protection from potential threats.

It wasn't long before the rest of the crew had filtered out to lounge and watch the night fall.

Brook sat on the bench around the center mast while he played soft tunes. Franky, Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy sprawled out on the middle of the deck with where they battled in a card game with indiscernible rules and goals.

Everyone had a drink in their hands or nearby, all sipping the same concoction that Sanji had been steadily supplying her. Except Chopper, whose drink was as blue as his nose—she couldn't imagine a reindeer liked alcohol, and she knew the kid had a sweet-tooth.

When Zoro emerged from the men's quarters, he immediately shot Fiore a dirty look.

"You're not at all careful, are you?" He complained as he grabbed a drink from the tray on the table.

She raised a single eyebrow at him. "I'm stationary."

He crossed the deck to sit on his ass and recline back against the port railing of the ship, directly opposite her.

"Don't expect me to rescue you if fall over-board."

She mocked him, of course. "Aw, Zoro, you  _do_ care."

He scowled, unmoved.  _"_ Go drown already." Putting his hands behind in head, he closed his eyes and fell into a nap, no care in the world.

"That's my line." Fi muttered, unmoved.

She grew a little warm, realizing how damn…  _pleasant_  these causal interactions felt. Also, rum helped.

The Straw Hats made her feel like she'd been doing this with them all along. In reality, it was the first night she truly joined the others in such a friendly, familiar way.

Fi eventually stood and tread silently along the railing, slowly making her way up to the bow. She hopped up to the Lion figurehead where Luffy was normally stationed and sat down.

The lights of the nearby island danced like stars along the slight arc of the horizon. However unexpected, here she was, still within the glowing radius of the warm Sunny. Watching the dark horizon as usual, she considered the possibility of tomorrow.

Not much time passed before Fi's ears picked up the tiring tones of the crew.

Nami yawned.

Chopper's voice grew lethargic, and soon, he and Luffy were snoring.

Usopp yawned as he and Franky both called out good-nights to everyone, including her. She stood up and stretched, calling out a goodnight as she watched the two half carry and half drag Chopper and Luffy towards the men's quarters.

Fi opted to stand and lean back against the figurehead's mane rather than sit, knowing the others would go to bed soon, too. She crossed her feet at the ankles and her arms over her chest, calmly watching the water for another spell.

In time, Brook noisily finished his drink and announced his departure for the crow's nest, since he had watch duty that night.

Robin stopped writing and shut her journal, then both she and Nami decided to turn in, too. Fi waved at them as they bid her goodnight.

After a few minutes, Fi heard steel hitting flint, shortly followed by the smell of tobacco.

She tilted her chin up slightly to inhale the spicy smell on the air, not stopping the slight upturn of her lips. She was indeed very fond of Sanji's tell-tale scent. Since he used quality tobacco and papers to roll his own smokes, it one of the very few pungent odors she appreciated.

Fi stood and followed her impulse, having made up her mind not to take for granted her time with the welcoming Straw Hats.

She detoured and silently tracked along the port side railing, wantonly flicking Zoro right on the tip of his nose. She promptly dropped to the deck and soundlessly moved away to avoid his leg as he kicked out at her irritably.

" _Awful ninja_."

She glanced over her shoulder at him to see tips of his ears were red as hell.  _Hah—so cute._

Fi took a seat by Sanji, who looked at her a little curiously but seemed pleased nonetheless.

"How are you, my swan?"

"Glad to have a full belly." She gave him a small smile. "You?"

He gave her that bright smile of his, and her heart thawed further. "I'm simply happy you're here."

"Thank you again, for everything."

His cheeks tinged pink a bit as be brushed off her praise. "You shouldn't thank me—I will always take care of you."

She unconsciously tilted her head a fraction.  _Such a sincere man._  She pressed her lips together and nodded.

"One more favor? Can I bum a smoke?"

He sat up with a widening grin as pulled his pack form his shirt pocket and handed it to her. " _Finally_! Someone who won't judge me for the habit."

She gave him a side-eye as she plucked a cigarette out of his pack and placed it against her dry lower lip. "Oh no, smoking is horrible. You'll ruin your lungs, you know."

Zoro gave a snort. "Don't even bother. Let him kill himself if he's that dumb."

Both she and Sanji looked to Zoro, but he still reclined back, eyes closed.

" _Shut it_ , bicep." Sanji muttered as he sat up and fished out his lighter from his pocket. "I appreciate your  _concern_ , Fiore, but I have the best lungs of everyone. I can hold my breath the longest. I bet I out-swim even you, miss ninja."

"You do have strong lungs." She conceded, having witnessed it whenever one or several devil-fruit eaters needed rescued. But he definitely couldn't out-swim  _her_. "Let's have a contest when my shoulder is better."

"Deal."

The blonde flicked the mechanism on the lighter, and she leaned forward to catch the tip of her cigarette in the flame as he cupped his free hand around it to block the breeze. She inhaled deeply, a cherry forming on the tip as the tobacco saturated her senses.

Fiore considered the humanity in Sanji's sapphire eyes. It was her favorite thing about the cook, hands down, even if it made her feel nostalgic. She exhaled smoke as she spoke.

"Don't feel bad—it's a necessary vice for many ninja, too."

Sanji eyed her as he puffed on his own cigarette and considered her words. "So… are all ninja fast like you?"

She grinned a little around her smoke as she slid down in her seat to get more comfortable, crossing one leg over the other. "Not a chance. Most ninja are faster than pirates though, that's for sure."

"Of course." The blond chuckled and reclined back casually, too. "I could have guessed you'd say that."

"Are they all so damn  _mouthy_?" Zoro piped up from where he lazed, still not bothering to move, but his normal eye was open to meet hers when she looked to him.

She took a deep drag of her cigarette as she held his gaze and then exhaled at length, in no hurry to respond. She didn't hedge.

"Playing coy doesn't suit you. Admit it—you like my mouth."

Sanji snickered, and Zoro's frown deepened as he closed his eyes again to resume his nap, grumbling something about ' _pompous_ ' and ' _purple_.'

Fiore realized she very much liked eliciting that reaction from the green-haired grump, a feeling of satisfaction settling in her abdomen.

Quiet after that, she actually  _relaxed_. She only smoked occasionally, when high-quality tobacco was available, so she felt heady for a few minutes. She  _maybe_  felt a little extra fuzzy given how easy it was to mess with Zoro, smoke with Sanji, or drink good rum around the entire crew. Despite the noise, she was genuinely comfortable around them.

She and Sanji puffed in companionable quiet for a few more minutes before he stood and bid her a peaceful sleep. She gave him a small, affectionate smile as she said goodnight in turn.

As the blonde left, he growled a low command at Zoro, warning him not to be an ass. Zoro didn't acknowledge him. Fi enjoyed that the two men, fire and ice, needled one another like siblings.

_Ah, damn. When did she become so fond of these pirates?_

Fiore reclined back again and let her head fall to the backrest of the chair. She gazed upwards, thoughts swirling back around to her earlier internal debate.

_Could she really allow herself to sail with the Straw Hats for a while longer_?

It would take a week or two for news of her activities to reach  _important_  ninja ears, so she had at least that long. Fi needed to find a populated island that suited her for a longer stint, maybe a few months, so she could plan her next step carefully and restock on ninja tools. And free passage was free passage. If the next island didn't suit her needs, it may be possible to sail with them for the longer, four-week tour Nami mentioned.

In the meantime, the relative stability and companionship the crew offered was appealing in a novel way, but therein laid a problem.

Fi already felt an attachment to this ship and its inhabitants. She knew it had a lot to do with the kindness they showed her, but it was more than that, too. It went back to the damned  _loudest_  captain in the New World.

Luffy's magnetism affected her immediately despite that he was hardly a kid, and Fi didn't doubt he would boil the oceans to reach his goal. At the same rate, his reassurance that ' _it didn't matter_ ' what kind of trouble surrounded her ' _because_   _friendship'_ was disconnected from reality. But dammit if she didn't find herself wanting to nod along anyway, almost believing his blasé, dreamer logic. In that ability laid the kid's real threat.

Also compelling was the fact that this diverse crew—whether they had it to begin with or were infected by Luffy—shared the captain's idealism. The Sunny itself, every wood grain and sail, was saturated with their devotions.

In truth, the Straw Hat's dynamic showed her that all pirates were  _not_ equal.

This was her first decent experience on a pirate ship, even taking into account Zoro's initially shitty attitude.

Despite that he was incorrigible out the surface, she favored the cranky swordsman. For all his gravitas, he was indeed the big, bad daddy-wolf of this pack.

As an outsider looking in, one pattern that emerged with life aboard the Sunny was that Zoro didn't miss much in spite of his aloof attitude.

If you peeled away his scathing tone and insults, the man provided downright paternal guidance to Luffy and Usopp. He volunteered to be a punching bag for the fiery Nami to work out her anxieties and subtly went out of his way to make Chopper feel secure. Zoro picked up on Sanji's triggers and grounded him with some commotion or rudeness. Brook seemed to find solace in Zoro's proximity whenever the skeleton looked exceptionally pensive. The burly swordsman actively  _listened_  when Franky reminisced about a past life. He even made attempts to defeat Robin in some chess-checkers mash-up, challenging her regularly even if it always ended the same—she used Zoro's own capricious rules against him to win.

_What would it feel like to be within his protective radius rather than be a threat to it?_

Ugh, _ew_ —what an irrational, idiotic thought! These damn pirates were making her soft as hell.

She considered the ill-mannered man and his ability to pull strong reactions from everyone, including herself, with just a few words and a scowl. Even now, she felt his eyes picking her apart, still evaluative but no longer distrustful like last week.

"Like what you see,  _Zo~ro_?"

"You finally look more comfortable." He observed.

She lifted her head to meet his stare, and he continued to watch her in that way of his. "I feel more comfortable."

"Then why're you makin' that face?"

Fiore wanted to be eye-to-eye with him for her next words. She stood and walked over, squatting down in front of him to balance on the balls of her feet, shifting her weight to the right, elbows on her knees. He didn't bother to move or sit up, but he watched her steadily.

"You have to know by now that I'm not going to  _hurt_  any of them. I promise."

"I know that."

She felt too bare in front of him like this, and he only demonstrated his keen sight when he questioned her again.

"S'not the only thing. Come on—out with it."

She searched his dark, tireless eye as she ventured a question she was afraid to have answered. "Why in the world did they send you after me?"

A moment of guilt crossed his expression as he paused to consider her words for far too long. "Why does that matter?"

Her eyes found her toes, uneasy about his response. "I haven't done anything to earn their good graces like this. What do they want with me? I'm not for hire—I'm no mercenary."

"Meh, don't be so self-important." He dismissed trivially.

She looked up with a surprised scoff, annoyed that he'd be flippant when she actually opened up. His eye followed her as she stood up from her crouch. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

His expression darkened, too. " _Che._  What's your problem now _?_ "

"My  _problem_  is that  _you_ asked, so I walked my ass over and told you I don't know why I've been invited to stay on this ship. And you take it for  _pride?_ "

"You're overthinking it." He argued, standing up all at once to glower down at her. "At what point did you get the impression anyone ' _earns a right_ ' to be here? There's no motive to uncover. Stop doubting us."

"That's not how it works in my world."

"You're not in your world—you're in ours."

She grit her teeth together.  _There had to be a reason they brought her back again_. Captain's childish whim? Because she was ninja and could fight? The bitterness on her tongue was probably audible. "Nothing is given."

Gaze unbreakable, tone tough, he cut straight to the heart of her reservations like he read her mind.

"Why isn't it reason enough that we want you here? You tell me, Fi—after that, what else really matters?"

She glared back, unable to voice her misgivings as she swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.

"If we say you're with us, then you're with us.  _Get used to it._ " He scowled sternly, then took a few steps forward and opened his arms, sweeping them forward in a gesture meant to cow her backwards. "Now, stop trying to feed your ego and go to sleep."

"Wha—excuse me?!" She protested as he attempted to  _herd_ her.

He raised an eyebrow, still trying to shoo her along. "You tellin' me you're not beat, after everything today?"

" _No_!"

He nodded condescendingly, raising one stupid green eyebrow. "Uh-huh,  _sure_."

"You're the fucking  _worst_!" She roughly shoved back at his wide, ridiculously hard shoulders, then she turned on her heel, striding towards her own room  _of her own volition_.

His sing-song tone was  _wholly_  mocking " _Good_ ~ _night_ , shitty little ninja."

"Drop dead, asshole pirate." She grouched, pushing through the door to the ship's interior, his dark chuckling following after her.

The shittiest part was how drained she felt—mentally, emotionally, physically.

_Ugh._

He truly read her too easily.

_Maybe she would drown the bastard after all._


	8. Operant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took a while for me to post this part, but I cranked out the next handful of chapters and hadn't done any rewriting until this past weekend. I did some minor editing as I rewrote parts of this chapter, but per usual, I'll refine it as I go. Hopefully issues don't distract too much.
> 
> Also, we are pretending there are more than eight seats at the table in the galley, so they can all sit together at meals. And if I confused the crow's next and observation deck in past chapters, yeah, sorry 'bout that.

Fiore woke in a haze, eyes practically glued shut with fatigue.

 

The slightest back-and-forth swaying indicated the Sunny moving, probably through calm water. The ship was relatively quiet, considering the usually obnoxious Straw Hat volume, but her sensitive ears still picked up the noises of life outside her new bedroom.

 

She heard the faint clanking of pots and pans as Sanji presumably cooked.

 

There was a subdued ‘ _yohoho’_ peal of laughter from the bowels of the ship.

 

The muffled chattering of Usopp and Robin filtered through, their conversation punctuated by Chopper’s high-pitched voice every few minutes.

 

Fiore raised a fist to her face, scrubbing at the crust on her eyelids, trying to blink them open.

 

She finally surfaced from the nest of blankets she’d cycloned around herself, yawning and letting her eyes adjust to being open again. An unusual grogginess clung to her, like her body and brain wanted to continue snoozing.

 

 _How damn long had she slept_?

 

She stretched arms above her head and straightened her legs, stretching to dispel the stiffness in her joints and muscles. Her shoulder smarted as her movements tugged at her sutures.

 

With a sigh and an admittedly nontrivial effort, Fiore dragged herself to the edge of her bed and snagged the clothes hanging over the back of her nearby desk chair.

 

She carefully pulled the plain white cotton tee-shirt over her head, minding her annoying stitches, then stepped into the navy-blue shorts Nami had supplied.

 

Fiore wasn’t one to hide her skin, especially since she _did_ have to cover her annoyingly distinct hair in public, but apparently Nami insisted on buying clothes in children’s sizes.

 

She tugged at the hem of her tight shirt, but it didn’t quite reach her navel.

 

 _Oh well_.

 

It was wonderful to have clean clothes, regardless.

 

With a steadying breath, she crossed her small room and exited.

 

 _Nothing to be nervous about_.

 

She already sailed with the Straw Hats, and the previous night spent on deck with everyone was comfortable since Zoro wasn’t such a prick.

 

Fiore silently padded down the short hall, exiting to the sunlit second-story deck and stepping up onto the balcony railing, just outside the aquarium bar.

 

From her perch, she surveyed the lawn deck with a hand shading her eyes from the… _afternoon_ sun?

 

On the lawn deck, Usopp tinkered with some gadget, while Robin and Chopper observed from the table nearby.

 

Zoro leaned on his elbows on the starboard bow, watching the water pass by.

 

Chopper’s nose and ears twitched, and he glanced up to her with a big smile.

 

“Fiiii! You’re finally awake!”

 

That the kid was happy to see her made her feel peculiar. Usopp and Robin turned to give her bright smiles, while Zoro didn’t bother to acknowledge her at all.

 

“Finally?” Fiore wondered as she leapt down to the deck below, landing right next to the table occupied by the trio.

 

“ _AHH_ — _dammit_!” The doctor’s sweetness promptly turned into a reprimand. “Don’t move so suddenly and _don’t jump from so high!_ You’ll still injured!”

 

“I slept all day?” Fi frowned and looked up to the sun in the sky briefly. “Like late afternoon.”

 

“You’ve been asleep for almost two days.” Robin revealed

 

She whispered harshly, fully surprised. “ _Two days?_ ”

 

“Yeah! You slept straight through yesterday, last night, and almost all of today.” Usopp raised his eyebrows at her. “It’s only about an hour until dinnertime.”

 

Fi had never slept so long!

 

There was a horribly vindicated snort of amusement towards the bow.

 

She crafted a totally plausible excuse. “Well, it’s to be expected when someone is pumped full of sedatives.”

 

Chopper looked half disrespected. “I-I didn’t do anything like that! You were just exhausted!”

 

“Don’t worry, Chopper, she’s just salty ‘cause I told her so.” Zoro still hadn’t bothered to even look her way.

 

Fi made a hand-sign to conceal her chakra signature—a way to hide per presence from those like Zoro who could sense chakra and haki—then put a finger to her lips to indicate the others should stay quiet.

 

Robin and Usopp both grinned conspiratorially.

 

She silently crept towards the swordsman.

 

“Sanji said to come see him in the galley first.” Chopper frowned at her behavior but talked normally, going along with her request. “I’m sure he wants to feed you right away.”

 

Fi nodded her understanding at the doctor, then jammed both her fingers right between Zoro’s sixth and seventh ribs on both sides.

 

“EEAACKK— _WHATHEFUCK_!” Zoro jolted nearly a foot in the air, spinning to face his offender and gripping his swords defensively. “WHAT THE— _YOU_!”

 

It was a particularly tender spot on the human body and an excellent place to thrust a kunai. And she may have enhanced the poke with a little chakra. _But_ _just a little_. Just for Zoro.

 

Fiore was casually halfway across the deck already, comfortably out of his immediate range.

 

Usopp and Chopper hooted at his reaction, and even Robin openly snickered.

 

“I will _cut you!_ You’ve been awake for a few minutes, and you’re already TERRIBLE!”

 

Zoro’s reddening cheeks and his huffy, hissy tone finally cracked Fi’s unmoved expression as she, too, bit down on a smile and breathy laugh.

 

_What an easy target!_

 

Zoro was going to be such _fun_ if he was this quick to anger!

 

And after such a long sleep, she needed to stretch. A spar with the prickly swordsman appealed on numerous levels.

 

Fi purposely put her back to him and settled herself with a carefree shrug. “I invite you to _try_.”

 

She levelled him a _look_ over her shoulder.

 

Zoro’s forearm muscles contracted, knuckles straining white around the hilt of his sword. _Ooh_ , he was definitely considering it.

 

She raised an eyebrow, nonchalant but unmistakably provoking. “Well?”

 

“ _Fufufu_ , swordsman versus ninja.” Robin mused. “Round two.”

 

Chopper looked less amused and more concerned.

 

“Now Fi, don’t be rash.” Usopp’s laughter settled to chuckles as he cautioned her. “You’re still hurt… You shouldn’t be so quick to pick a fight!”

 

“No need to worry.” She hadn’t taken her eyes off the green-haired fool. “A stick swinging show pony can’t—”

 

Zoro drew a sword and was halfway across the deck when Chopper jumped up, out of sorts and standing between them.

 

“ _OKAY!_ Stop _right_ there! I see I have to nip this in the bud with you two _hotheads_!” Chopper scolded them at the top of his lungs. “NO FIGHTING. _At all_. Not even to play, Fi! And _Zoro_ —don’t you _dare_ make trouble! You know better!”

 

Robin and Usopp made a thin effort to suppress their laughter.

 

Zoro sheathed his weapon as he turned his back to them and returned to the bow. The man muttered unintelligibly, still all endearingly grizzly as he slouched over the railing once again.

 

Fi gave a single huff as she regarded the doctor with distaste for spoiling her fun, but sensing her argument, Chopper turned his authority to her.

 

“So help me, Fi, you will _not_ ruin those sutures again! Go see Sanji. _Now_! And then come back here so I can examine your shoulder before dinner.”

 

Despite that his doctor-tone left no room for dispute, Fi gave the kid a side-eye as she sauntered towards the galley.

 

“Thanks but _no thanks_ on the exam.”

 

Chopper’s piqued squawking followed after her, but she swiftly stepped into the interior of the ship and closed the door to mute his loud ire.

 

She smiled as she slinked down the hall. It had been so long since she felt free to be herself.

 

The Straw Hats put her at ease.

 

Moving into the galley, Fiore soundlessly sat on the edge of the countertop peninsula and waited for Sanji to turn around.

 

To her surprise, she _hadn’t_ snuck up on him at all—he casually spun on his heel and eyed her for a few beats.

 

“You may stay right there _only if_ you promise _never_ to let the others see you sitting on the counter like that—I’ve threatened castration for far less.”

 

“Duly noted, Sanji.” She pressed her lips together. “You summoned me?”

 

He turned and opened the nearby fridge, grabbing a plate and passing it to her.

 

“Here. Calorie-dense snacks first. Then, dinner.”

 

Her stomach growled at the sight of the nuts, cheeses, and dried meats. “ _Thank you._ ”

 

She happily chomped away, and true to form, the cook grinned widely as he watched her eat for a minute before turning back to his work.

 

Fi made quick work of the food and was already feeling better.

 

“Can I help you with something?”

 

“No, you cannot, my dear.” Sanji shook his head. “But since you’re avoiding Chopper—I heard him yelling, don’t give me at innocent face—you can keep me company for as long as you want.”

 

“But I _want_ to help. I’m already bored.” She pressed her lips together. “I can’t _possibly_ endure more idleness like last week.”

 

“Get used to it, my dear.” Sanji was tolerant of her whining. “Chopper is holding everyone accountable for your shoulder, you know.”

 

She pursed her lips and scowled, recalling how Zoro used the exact same phrase.

 

“What is this Straw Hat ‘ _get used to it_ ’ business?”

 

“I don’t know, but you can sulk about it all you want—it’s absolutely _precious_.”

 

She frowned harder. “Et tu?”

 

The cook smiled wryly. “Okay, I won’t tease right _now_ , but do me a favor and pout at the shitty swordsman whenever you get the chance. He’ll hate it!”

 

“He’s an idiot.” She paused but couldn’t fight the upward quirk of her lips. “Way too easy.”

 

Sanji raised his eyebrows, failing to hide a knowing smile. “ _Mh-hm_. He’s the only one, huh?”

 

Before she could argue, he turned and offered what looked like a piece of toasted bread with some sauce brushed on it.

 

“I officially employ you as my taste tester while you’.”

 

She took the bread and gave a groan as soon as the flavors hit her tongue. “ _Hmmh_. Ninja approved.”

 

“I’ll feed you all day if you keep making noises like that!” Sanji encouraged with a provocative, shimmying wiggle dance.

 

Fi chuckled at the man’s randy liberties.

 

She and Sanji continued like that, cooking, taste-testing, and joking easily. It was comfortable and companionable. The blond was a no-nonsense nurturer—sensitive in the way that mattered.

 

The time passed quickly, and as soon as Fi heard the quick slapping of sandals making for the ship’s interior, she found a more appropriate seat on a stool at the counter bar.

 

Sanji gave her a curious look, and Fi simply tapped one of her ears in explanation.

 

Soon, the captain’s footfalls became loud enough for even human ears.

 

“Good ears, miss ninja.” Sanji complimented, watching her intently.

 

“FOOOOOOOOOD!!!!” Luffy bellowed, striding in and practically drooling. “Sanji I’m so hun—OH, FIIIII!!!”

 

His rubbery arms looped around her several times, but she was prepared for his tactile, _deafening_ style of affection as he sprung into her for a crushing hug.

 

“I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE AWAKE!! _Shishishi!_ ”

 

She just barely managed to stay upright on the stool, resigned to letting the boy constrict her. “Nice to see you, too, Luffy.”

 

“Now Nami won’t yell at us for being loud _hahaha_!” He grinned happily. “You can fish with us! And eat meat with us! And show us ninja tricks! And make Zoro red! And play cards with us! And we can take the shark submerg—”

 

“Okay, okay! Get your hands off her and go sit down, you rubber trashcan.” Sanji’s tone hardened.

 

“BUT SANJIIIII!” Luffy protested, even as he released Fi and did as told, finding his seat at the head of the table. “At least gimme some food!”

 

“Every goddamn day, it’s the same thing with you! You _know_ you have to wait!”

 

Fi listened to the two squabble. Despite his harshness, Sanji’s gaze was wholly affectionate. Luffy, for his part, really did look ready to keel over in starvation.

 

It wasn’t long before the others started to pile into the galley, the scent of food wafting through the air.

 

“ _Oww,_ Sanji! Smells good!!” Franky thundered upon entrance. “And the lovely Fi! Feeling _suuuuper_?! You sure slept forever!”

 

She gave the cyborg a smile, returning his high five wgeb his little hand extended from the palm of his larger hand. “Yes, thank you.”

 

Brook peeked at her from around the big, blue-haired man.

 

“Nice to see you Fiore! I’m so glad you’re feeling better. Now, would you be so kind as to show me your—”

 

He was cut off when a disembodied arm sprouted from his shoulder and forcefully clamped his jaw shut.

 

“If you weren’t already dead, I’d kill you, Brook.” Robin stepped around the cyborg and skeleton to take her place near the middle of the table.

 

“ _Yohohoho_ , skull joke! You’re spirited tonight, Robin!”

 

She turned her sweet smile and cool cyan eyes on Fi. “Chopper is vexed with you.”

 

Fi suppressed a sigh. “The kid has done plenty enough already.”

 

Nami and Zoro walked in, taking their respective seats as well, apparently catching the conversation.

 

“He’ll just keep after you. You’re his patient, after all.” Nami warned, beckoning Fi to the seat by her.

 

“He’s only going to tell me that I still can’t do _anything_.” Fi complained as she moved to take her place at the far end of the table, next to Nami and across from Zoro.

 

She let red-head hug her cheerily. “Then enjoy the vacation!”

 

Fi found Zoro’s gaze and mirrored his expression, scowling and even closing her left eye like his. “I will die of boredom before these stitches are gone.”

 

“ _Good_.” Zoro shot, frowning even harder at her imitation.

 

 _Heh_. He must still be pissed about the rib-poke. That cheered her up again.

 

Nami released her, and Fi relaxed in her seat.

 

Everyone chattered around her, harassing, joking, and scolding like any close-knit family. The Straw Hats were too damn pure.

 

Close to dinnertime, Chopper and Usopp finally arrived.

 

“ _Fi-or-e_.” Chopper’s glare found as he annunciated her name. “After dinner. Straight to the infirmary. _Got it_?”

 

Fi watched the doctor for a pause before exhaling a drawn out, long-suffering sigh in response. She rolled her eyes skyward for a moment. “I _guess_.”

 

Chopper practically growled at her, and the others snickered.

 

“That’s gratitude for you.” Zoro muttered.

 

Just as Fi got a little edgy with having attention on her, Sanji started serving food, and the feeding frenzy overtook everyone’s attention.

 

She listened to the many conversations swirling around her as everyone ate with _much_ gusto.

 

Usopp and Chopper seemed to be competing with Luffy for food—all three were already on their second plates before Fi was halfway through her first serving.

 

Robin openly flirted back and forth with Franky. She only short-circuited the cyborg a few times, which made the raven-haired woman chuckle even more, but he recovered enough to flirt back, too.

 

Brook, Nami and Sanji discussed the kind of island they were to land on next—a winter island, apparently.

 

Nami relayed that it should have all the supplies needed for four weeks at sea despite that it was a relatively small island. It was the next logical step after their last stop, so the port town was probably used to ships stopping through to restock.

 

Fi was troubled by the fact that their destination was predictable. While it was improbable that news of her whereabouts—or rather, with whom she sailed—had reached other ninja, she would need to be cautious.

 

She put the thought out of her mind, because there wasn’t anything to be done about it now.

 

All in all, it was a normal dinner for the Straw Hat crew.

 

Fi knew what to expect, but she was still adjusting to the hectic activities. It wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle, and she didn’t _show_ her discomfort, of course—she was ninja, after all.

 

But for better or worse, she was hyper-sensitive. And due to her training, every sudden, jerky movement and outraged shriek had her identifying and interpreting potential threats and best counter-attacks.

 

A large part of her didn’t see friends or even _people_ , but merely targets.

 

With the Straw Hats, she obviously didn’t need to be ready for hostility, but the habit was instinct by now and worked apart from her more rational mind.

 

In hectic settings like this, Fi was prone to overstimulation if she didn’t _remove_ herself a bit. Usually, she tried to detach and enter a mode of exclusively objective surveillance. Like all ninja, she was well-versed in the techniques for doing so, and it came easily.

 

But, unlike the first time with the crew, she didn’t _want_ to drift into that nothingness.

 

So, instead of deadening her chafed senses, Fi slowly chewed her own food and concentrated on breathing. She eventually let herself fixate on the man across from her as a distraction.

 

Zoro shoveled rice into his face like he’d never seen food before now. He was all messy green spikes and bulky traps. Those gold earrings jingled and tinkled slightly with his movements.

 

She was drawn in quite immediately.

 

His elbows rested on the table as his cutlery never slowed in the path of plate-to-mouth. Thick forearms flexed slightly with his movements, their angular mass giving her thoroughly non-platonic ideas. She noted the thick callouses that hardened the visible pads of his fingers and palms.

 

He wore a blue tee-shirt that scooped just below his clavicles, enough to hint at the hulking pectorals hiding beneath. His sleeves strained against large deltoids and bands of arm muscles, and a length of black fabric was tied around his left bicep. She’d scarcely seen him without the bandana attached to his arm.

 

Watching Zoro, Fi was more compelled to stay present despite the harsh activities around her. She focused on remaining right here, in all her discomfort, across from this guy who somehow looked good while eating like a wild pig.

 

Finally feeling her gaze, Zoro glanced up with a double-take.

 

He gulped down a gigantic mouthful of food and stared back, wiping his hand across his mouth to remove several grains of rice stuck there.

 

Feeling more grounded again, she half-smiled and put her right elbow on the table, leaning into her palm. “How is it you don’t choke?”

 

Zoro eyed her for a breath, and instead of growing embarrassed as she intended with the comment, he mirrored her pose and leaned into his palm.

 

“I unhinge my jaw.” A smirk played on his lips. “Like a snake.”

 

“Sounds kinky.” She deadpanned. “You must be very hungry.”

 

“Not all of us got _snacks_ before dinner.”

 

“For future reference, I’ll share my snacks with you. _If…_ ”

 

Zoro played along. “If _what_?”

 

“If you’re _nice_ to me.”

 

“Nice, huh? And what’s that look like?”

 

“Oh, you know.” She spoke lightly. “Servitude. Groveling.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at her, dropping his voice so his words didn’t catch the attention of the others. “Can’t say I’d have guessed you like men who beg.”

 

His gravelly tone was having an _effect_ on Fi, and she didn’t hesitate to meet him on the pitch.

 

“What’s wrong with a little piety? I like the sight of a strong man on his knees.”

 

His knowing gaze lit a fire in her. “Keep speaking in parables around me, little ninja, and you’ll end up the one kneeling in veneration.”

 

 _Oh, snap_. Not only was Zoro playing ball—he was _good_ at it. “Sounds like a dare.”

 

His chuckle was low and taunting. “Obviously.”

 

She raised an eyebrow at him. “The hubristic fold the fastest, you know.”

 

“Piety, hubris... Two sides of the same coin." His fingers drummed across the table in succession, but she honestly wasn't sure if it betrayed of patience or a lack thereof. "All hedonists fall the same.”

 

“I should sharpen my knife for your irreverence.”

 

“Do your worst.” He tilted his head with a cocky grin. “I like a woman who can make me repent for my sins.”

 

 _Oh, damn_.

 

She felt her cheeks warm but refused to take her eyes of his. “There’s no mercy at my altar.”

 

His eye darkened, pupil bleeding into iris seamlessly. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Oh. Oh- _hoho._ Oh fuck.

 

Their intensifying exchange was abruptly, most _jarringly_ interrupted when a rubbery arm appeared before Fi, threatening the food on her plate.

 

Causal as ever, Chopper, Usopp, Robin, and Nami—all of whom sat on her side of the table and was thus in easy range—simultaneously jabbed at Luffy’s arm with their cutlery, causing him to howl and pull back quickly.

 

She pressed her lips together as Zoro causally sat up straight again and picked up his fork, resuming his meal.

 

His ears started to redden, and there was that slight pink tinge on the bridge of his nose.

 

 _Yeah, still cute_ , but now she definitely knew and couldn’t _un-know_ …

 

Zoro had a _dirty_ side.

 

She eyed him, but the adults were not distracted with their own conversation like before, so she changed the subject, noting that at least Chopper was still preoccupied with Luffy.

 

“So, would you rat me out if I tried a little training after the doc’s exam? And no, that’s not an innuendo.”

 

Zoro looked up and narrowed his eyes in assessment. “Probably. I can’t imagine you know how to take it easy. Innuendo intended; I’m sure it applies.”

 

From down the table, Sanji interjected first. “What’s with qualifying things as innuendos or not? You better not be acting indecent, marimo.”

 

“None of your damn business, twirly-brow.” Zoro growled, shooting the blonde a glare.

 

Fi pursed her lips and frowned at Zoro, inadvertently fulfilling Sanji’s request to make such a face at the man. “ _Boo_. You’re no fun at all.”

 

“Chopper said…” His gaze briefly fell to her lips as his brows pinched. “A-are you fucking _pouting_?”

 

“Don’t talk so harshly, _jeez_!” Nami turned her attention on them.

 

“ _Ahh_!” Sanji’s excited yell and wide grin found Zoro. “ _Ahaha_! You look like an _idiot_! Nice one, Fi!”

 

Zoro was immediately cross, glancing between her and the cook. “What the fuck are you laughing at? What the hell did ya do, purple?”

 

“What did I just _say_ , moss head?” Nami barked.

 

It devolved into arguing from there.

 

Ignoring the quibbling threesome, Fi sighed.

 

The verbal banter with Zoro was fun, but she was going to get downright _twitchy_ without physical exertion. She probably couldn’t pick fights with anyone, and she probably couldn’t _train_ on this ship without someone giving her a lecture.

 

Fi leaned forward slightly to look down the table at Robin, who sat on the other side of Nami.

 

“Robin? You assign weekly chores, right?”

 

“Good observation, Fi. I do, yes.”

 

“ _Please_ —at least give me some responsibilities for this week.”

 

“Don’t fall for it, Robin.” Zoro griped, tuning back in. “Let her suffer in stillness.”

 

“Wow.” She eyed him. “ _Thanks._ ”

 

Sanji spoke up. “Oh yeah, shithead, don’t forget—it’s your turn to scrub the pots and pans.”

 

“What?! No it’s not! It’s my night to _dry_. I ain’t scrubbing shit.”

 

Sanji and Zoro fought about it until Robin fetched her ‘ _chore book_ ’ and put the argument to rest.

 

Zoro sulked.

 

Sanji had been correct, after all.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

After everyone was finished eating, the fire and ice duo started doing dishes, and Chopper hustled Fi into the infirmary before she escaped.

 

The kid’s cursory exam was short and mostly painless—he seemed satisfied that her two day sleep had allowed a good amount of healing to occur.

 

Fi followed the doctor out to the lawn deck, lazing on a railing to watch Luffy and Chopper fish.

 

The two young boys explained how they fished to stock the aquarium and showed her how to safely get the fish into the tank. Curiously, Luffy’s explanation included a break-down of what to do in the event she fell into the aquarium.

 

This prompted a distressing albeit entertaining conversation about how Luffy found himself in this predicament more than once, indirectly revealing why there existed an emergency drain mechanism—activated by pulling a rope within easy reach of the porthole latch—in the first place.

 

At one point, Chopper left briefly, so Fi took advantage of having the captain alone for a few minutes.

 

“Luffy.”

 

His eyes found hers. “Yeah, Fi?”

 

“The warning is the same, you know. Nothing has changed.”

 

He watched her seriously a beat. “I already told you. It’s fine.”

 

“As long as I’m here, you’re all fair game for other ninja.” She cautioned him for the second time since meeting him. “I know you guys are strong, but they’re desperate.”

 

He turned back to fishing, shrugging it off with a cheery smile. “Doesn’t matter!”

 

“Listen—I’m not just any rogue ninja.” She tried again. “They’ll try to stop me at any cost, even if that means facing with infamous Straw Hat Luffy.”

 

“Let ‘em try.” He snickered. “We’ll kick their asses before that can happen.”

 

“You’re still taking it too lightly. Ninja are _dangerous_.” She sighed, hating to have same conversation with the same person. “There’s no ass kicking—they’ll kill you all without blinking. I wish you wouldn’t see it so damn simply.”

 

Luffy grinned widely at her. “But it _is_ simple!”

 

She dropped it for now, because Chopper was returning.

 

And anyway, there was no sense in arguing with the captain until she found a line of reasoning he’d understand, the steadfast fool.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Having slept for as long as she did, Fiore wasn’t surprised that night came but she didn’t tire.

 

After everyone turned in, including her, she stole back out to the lawn deck. No sense in lying awake in bed, letting her mind spin and worry.

 

And with Chopper asleep, she didn’t have to be so preposterously cautious.

 

Fi paced along the railing of the lawn deck, practicing doing different kinds of one-legged flips and twists. The rocking of the ship and the narrow rail width provided a nice challenge.

 

Fortunately for her, there was a cute swordsman also awake—Zoro had night-watch duty.

 

She was mid-flip when his voice called out from the balcony of the crow’s nest.

 

“ _OI_! What the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?!”

 

Fi landed and looked up at the man, noting the heavy dumbbell in his hand and his lack of shirt.

 

She tilted her head thoughtfully, interest piqued.

 

Zoro was _training_.

 

Moving at her naturally quick pace along the railing, Fi leapt up to the bannister at the helm. She built up a little chakra in her feet, then catapulted herself upwards with enough force to negate the need for the rope ladder entirely.

 

Within just a few seconds, she landed in an easy crouch on the railing of the crow’s nest, hardly a foot in front of a stunned Zoro.

 

She took his momentary surprise to get a good, up-close look at the man. She wasn’t shy—not after their explicit dinnertime banter—letting her eyes wander down his masculine frame.

 

Fi _liked_ what the exertion of his training did to him, skin all flushed and rivulets of sweat beading down his muscular frame. He smelled like metal and perspiration as he panted ever-so-slightly. His muscles looked sharp enough to cut her tongue. _Yum_. And that _scar…_

 

Her eyes found his open one again.

 

“Any reason you’re all fired up, or…?”

 

“I…. _So many reasons_!” He found his voice, all exasperated. “First!? What if you fell in? At night like this?!”

 

“Isn’t that the point of having lookout?” She raised an eyebrow, again glancing down at his chiseled pecs and poking his chest to emphasize her point. “I wouldn’t altogether mind being rescued if you left your shirt off like that.”

 

Caught off guard, his jaw dropped briefly. If he wasn’t already flushed from his workout, he’d have turned pink. It was an endearing contrast to his earlier boldness. He covered by scolding her.

 

“And how about flipping around all careless with your stitches?”

 

She bit her lip to hide her smile. “I wasn’t using my shoulder. You know that.”

 

“But the _risk_ if you fucked up, even just once.”

 

“That’d be a good point if it applied to me.”

 

He looked ready to shove her clean off the railing. “I ought to tell Chopper, if only to check your damn arrogance.”

 

She regarded him, narrowing her eyes.

 

_Danm._

 

He wasn’t bluffing about that.

 

“Fine, _snitch_. I’ll behave.”

 

Fi stood straight and turned, building some chakra in her feet to soften the impact from her jump back down to the lawn deck.  She started to step off the ledge, but a firm tug on the back of her shirt stopped her again.

 

“Oi! What did I say?! How is jumping back down any better?”

 

She looked over her shoulder with a scoff. “How is _climbing_ down the rope ladder better? You have no idea how chakra works, do you?”

 

“Of course not!” He turned and made for the interior of the crow’s nest. “Just come sit in here if you can’t hold still out there.”

 

She tilted her head but hopped off the railing and followed after the man curiously.

 

G _oddamn_ … His muscular back was almost more mouth-watering than his chest.

 

Zoro went back to the freestanding pull-up bar, standing under it and watching her as he rubbed his hands together in preparation for another set.

 

“Why the hell are you awake anyway?”

 

Fi sat down on a nearby couch, leaning back into the cushions and settling in for what she anticipated to be a _delightful_ view.

 

“I’m not tired. I think I messed up my sleep pattern.”

 

“Oh. Not unexpected, I guess, after sleeping for days.”

 

He trained his eye on the bar above him and gave a jump to snag it. To her surprise, he tucked his right arm behind his back then lifted himself.

 

_Fucking. A._

One-arm pull-ups.

 

And they were goddamn _perfection_.

 

She was _really_ glad he concentrated on his exercise and watched the bar above him, because her face felt warm for a quick minute.

 

Counting his repetitions, she was impressed with his solid twenty.

 

She wondered how many she could do. Probably not twenty… maybe eight. _Damn_.

 

Without dropping, he switched arms, grabbing the bar with his right hand. He let go with his left hand, shaking it out then tucking it behind his back.

 

Zoro glanced at her briefly. “Oh, and to say it again… _I_ _told you so_. You were dead on your feet. I’m not surprised you slept so long.”

 

He started another round of one-arm pull-ups, this time on his left side.

 

“Gloating isn’t attractive, you know.”

 

He snorted. “Hilarious, hearing those words outta your mouth.”

 

Another perfect twenty reps, and Zoro dropped back to the ground. Sweat dripped down his torso here and there as he shook out his arms.

 

Without break, he moved to the middle of the room and began pressing massively heavy dumbbells over his head.

Holy _hell_.

 

Those shoulders…

 

Fi actually swallowed some extra saliva.

 

Pretending she wasn’t thirsty as hell, she frowned.

 

“I’m not allowed to train at _all_ , and you’re practically rubbing my nose in it.” She accused, eying his muscles as they contracted, hard as boulders. “You fight dirty.”

 

“ _Heh_ …” Zoro brought his eye back to hers, no break to his shoulder presses. “I thought you’d have been quicker to learn that we pirates _love_ to fight dirty.”

 

She held his gaze. “So you like it dirty, Zoro?”

 

“No, Fi.” There was a glint in his eyes. “ _Filthy_.”

 

She absolutely, _resolutely_ , bit back her first, more intense reaction, solely due to the fact that he managed to catch _her_ off guard with the intensity of that devilish _look_.

 

Even Zoro looked surprised at himself, like his brain was lagging behind his mouth.

 

“I bet.” She muttered, letting the sudden sexual tension fade from her frame with a huff. “At least put in a praising word for me with the good doctor, so he’ll clear me sooner.”

 

Zoro’s countenance returned to normal as he dropped the dumbbells to the floor and immediately fell forward into a set of pushups.

 

“Is simply holding still really so difficult?”

 

“Nah.” She studied his perfect, unwavering technique. “But I miss training. Hard to feel like I’m losing ground.”

 

“Now _that_ I get.”

 

After a few more reps, he paused his push-ups and sat on his hip. Eyeing her briefly, he motioned her over with his head. “Come here. I have an idea.”

 

 _Fi had a few ideas of her own_.

 

She stood to indicate interest. “And what’s that?”

 

“What are you—like a buck ten? You can be my weight plate for a few sets.” He rolled back into his stomach then patted the back of his shoulder with a hand. “Sit here, on my back.”

 

“I’m not sure I appreciate your suggestion, _Zo~ro_.”

 

He rolled his eyes. “Just try it, _Fi~or~e_. More fun than sitting over there, pouting.”

 

Her curiosity got the better of her.

 

She walked forward and rest her hands on his bare shoulder-blades. “Up here?” ~~~~

“Yeah.” He grumbled. “Do your ninja balancing thing and meditate or something—you clearly need it.”

 

She refrained from rubbing her hands down his thick back muscles and instead simply swung her leg over his broad frame, sitting down. “Balance is muscle control. You should get some.”

 

He resumed his damn perfect pushups as if nothing changed, while she gave a sudden jerk to catch herself and avoid tumbling off onto her face.

 

“ _Wow_.” He teased flatly. “Nice save, miss muscle control.”

 

“ _Uh-huh_. Nice try.” She returned his sarcasm while getting comfortable on his back, crossing her legs at the knees and rolling her shoulders back to find her center over his ridiculously broad back.

 

They fell quiet as she truly felt out the potential of this exercise for a few repetitions. She closed her eyes for an extra challenge and to fine-tune her stability to the flex and push motions of the man under her.

 

“ _Ah_. You were right.”

 

“Obviously.” Zoro quipped.

 

“Not cute.” She teased with a smile, resting her hand on top of his spikey green hair for a few beats.

 

He grunted in vague disagreement.

 

After another ridiculously perfect sixty-seven repetitions, he held the top position of the pushup for additional abdominal exercise.

 

_She liked the way this man trained._

 

Her eyes were still closed and other senses in high gear, so she felt his hesitance easily. Under her, she felt Zoro start to speak but stoped himself.

 

“What?”

 

He started again. “I have a question.”

 

She suddenly realized how fucking great it was to experience his gruff voice as a physical vibration against her own body.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Is there any more to your name? Maybe I’d recognize it.”

 

“Because you know so many infamous ninja names?” Her eyes popped open. “But if you’re asking if there is more to my name… The answer is yes.”

 

“Oh.” The pause stretched on, until he got impatient. “Well?”

 

“Well, what?” She scoffed. “You can’t you expect me to give _you_ sensitive intel.”

 

“ _Oomf—_ ” His chest smacked the floor roughly as he dropped out of the planche.

 

She shifted her weight to the side, so he could turn over and sit up, too. They sat on their asses in the middle of the room, next to one another, eyes meeting and holding as was becoming their norm.

 

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

 

Fi raised an eyebrow at his clear offense. “I’ve known you for, like, _days_ , and you already outed me to an _entire_ island.”

 

“I needed to draw you out!” He justified indignantly.

 

“That doesn’t make it better!”

 

“You’re horrible.” He complained, his dark eye refusing to leave hers. “Ninja are awful.”  
  
“You just can’t stand the mystery.” She levelled at him.

 

“That’s only part of it.” He admitted with a shrug. “Tell me your name.”

 

“What’s the other part?”

 

The way he quietly watched her intensified the moment, and she sensed an opportunity.

 

“Tell me why, _really_ , you want my name, and I’ll give it to you.”

 

His jaw flexed, but that piercing stare of his didn’t waver. “I wanna know the sound of it. And _before_ the others, especially the shitty cook.”

 

For the second time that day, Zoro’s direct approach pleased her.

 

“Ninja assume a surname based on the clan with whom they train. I am a disciple of the Fang Clan, so…” She stuck out her hand with a faux formalism. “That makes me Fang Fiore.”

 

“ _Fang Fiore_.” Zoro’s eyes were bright as shook her hand. “Well, that’s unimpressive. Sounds dumb after all. Ninja are such a letdown.”

 

She dropped his hand and kicked out at him, but he quickly rolled away and hopped up, moving to re-rack the forgotten dumbbells that laid nearby.

 

His pink cheeks totally gave him away, and it made Fi fucking _tingly_.

 

She shook her head with a sigh, pushing to her feet and making her way back to the couch and sitting down heavily.

 

“You’re foul, algae brain.”

 

He continued to tease her as he walked over to join her.

 

“How about Fang ‘ _walking stereotype_ ’ Fiore for a nickname? That way everyone is prepared for how tacky you are.”

 

“You are _such_ an idiot. Look at _you_ , with those scars. You might as well have an eye-patch and peg-legs, too.”

 

“You wish.”

 

He reached out to the end of the couch, and surprising her, picked it up and rotated it around one hundred and eighty degrees. Now, she and the couch faced the huge floor-to-ceiling windows instead of the interior of the room.

 

The moonlight glinted across the dark ocean waters, revealing a still night and infinite horizon.

 

She smiled as she watched out the window. “Nice.”

 

Zoro grunted in agreement and took a seat on the opposite end of the couch.

 

He shifted around and got comfortable, reclining into the back of the couch, putting his hands behind his head, and stretching his legs out in front of him.

 

She brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself to stay warm and comfortable as she watched the dark night.

 

They settled after that, both contentedly quiet.

 

And so started a pattern.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Fang.

 

Fang fucking Fiore.

 

_Goddammit._

 

It was a good name for a shitty ninja like her.

 

It was a question Zoro had on his mind for a while, but he expected her guardedness about it. She was, thus far, all mysterious about her personal details.

 

Plus, the Straw Hats had been _accused of_ being garbage at keeping secrets— _but Law’s opinion obviously didn’t count_.

 

Regardless, Zoro was starting to discern what cracked Fi’s stoic shell, and thus, he told the painful truth about why he wanted her name.

 

At least she rewarded him.

 

Zoro tuned his eye on the nearby, softly snoozing ninja.

 

For once, Fi didn’t looked pissed off _or_ like a cat with a canary. She actually looked rather… tranquil.

 

The girl had turned sideways to lean into the back of the couch, still hugging her knees to herself as she slept. Facing him this way, he was free to study her.

 

Her biceps bulged where they pressed against her thighs and her fingers were interlaced against her shins as she held onto her tucked legs. She’d been barefoot since she woke up that morning, so her toes were grubby and dirty.

 

With her eyes closed and chin tilted down to rest on her knees, her dark eyelashes splayed across the tops of her cheeks. Her disheveled, violet hair was on the top of her head, barely tied up with that bright blue ribbon she always had on her, revealing the pale skin and soft curve of her neck.

 

The metal of her piercings gleamed as moonlight reflected off them, serving as a constant reminder of their first meeting and his ever-amplifying attraction. And as of late, her damn _mouth_ and trying attitude only solidified that.

 

Yet again, his mind returned to what was the highlight of his whole _goddamn_ day.

 

Well, _besides_ her dirty dinner-time conservation.

 

When she sat on his back, the way she rested her hand on his head was… _warm_.

 

 _Affectionate_ , even.

 

And it was the first time she initiated any kind of physical gesture on her own—nasty rib pokes notwithstanding—toward _any_ of the crew.

 

That fact was not lost on Zoro.

 

He shook his head and forced his eyes to scan the horizon carefully, as was his job tonight, after all.

 

_Fang Fiore._

 

Troublesome little ninja.

 

Zoro sighed, recalling the way she flipped around on the edge of the ship.

 

She looked steady enough, but it didn’t matter how skilled she was if a sudden swell smacked the ship, which was all too common in the seas of the New World. Her risk assessment was either piss-poor or she was dangerously overconfident.

 

Probably both, dammit.

 

 _So_ troublesome.

 

 

 


	9. Communicate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you're not here for domestic, life-on-the-Sunny fluff, these next few chapters will waste your time. I've drafted a lot of content for Disinhibition besides such fluff, but I'm in no rush to get there… Expect a significant amount of what the internet would call 'self-indulgent garbage.' I think there's a meme about it somewhere. You've been warned :')
> 
> P.S. I'm taking creative liberties with the interior of the crow's nest. Live yo life.
> 
> P.P.S. This chapter is a little rough, I know, but I wanted to get it out since it is just twaddle… I'll edit more thoroughly later, but tryna keep the train movin…

Though her eyes were closed, Fi knew something was wrong.

It definitely didn't  _smell_  like her new room near the Sunny's aquarium…

_Oh!_

Fi sat up suddenly, eyes popping open. " _Zo.._."

It was bright morning, and she was alone in the crow's nest.

_Shit._

She'd fallen asleep up here. Next to…

Both corners of her lips turned up.

 _Right_.

Fi ran her hands through here hair as she eyed the fabric across her body.

_A blanket?_

She put a hand over her face to hide her widening smile…

After counting to thirty and schooling her expression, she folded the blanket then hopped up, stretching and cracking her joints as she looked out on the bright mid-morning sun and sea.

She turned for the exit but made a pit-stop under the pull-up bar. With an upwards hop, she snagged the cross bar with her right hand and did a one-arm pull-up then dropped back to her feet.

 _Damn_. That shit was  _hard_  without any chakra assistance.

Fi made for the exit and noiselessly dropped from the crow's nest to the lawn deck. She followed her ears and nose to the galley, where the Straw Hats feasted with their usual enthusiasm.

The crew offered her various greeting and smiles after Luffy shouted her name around a mouthful of eggs.

As she sat in her place at the table, Sanji approached with a mug of tea and plate of food, giving her a heartfelt smile. "Good morning, my swan."

"Morning." She met his cobalt eyes with a small smile. "Thank you."

Nami gently bumped her shoulder in a warm, non-verbal greeting as she flipped the page of her newspaper.

Zoro outright hazed her.

"Look what the cat  _finally_  dragged in."

With a little tilt of her head, she regarded the man whose hair stuck up all over the place, looking as bedraggled and sleepy as ever as he yawned.

Fi found it unusually difficult to keep a grin off her face.

Instead of trying to be heard over Franky and Luffy's sudden shouting match, Fi settled for rolling her eyes at him.

Zoro merely shook his head, covering his own smile with an unconvincing frown, and resumed shoveling food into his face.

She tried not to think about the warmth in her damn bones.

 

* * *

 

Over the next week at sea, Fiore found a new normal as she fully and consciously joined daily life aboard the Thousand Sunny.

It actually wasn't too painful for her to drop her guard and participate, at least to some extent, when she'd normally have kept to herself. Even a distrusting, cynical ninja like her couldn't deny that they were trustworthy to a damn fault.

Fi helped with all sorts of tasks and duties—when she was  _permitted_. The Straw Hats treated her far too delicately while her shoulder healed.

The crew  _at least_  let her take many lookout shifts, since one only had to sit still to be effective. Her internal clock was having a tough time finding a diurnal schedule, but she was beginning to prefer the quiet nights anyway.

Besides being overbearing about her injury, the crew was easy-going about her habits. No one seemed to mind the way she silently hovered at the periphery much of the time, or her general irreverence for social etiquette.

Nami and Robin cackled when she posed inappropriate questions about cyborg private parts. Sanji and Brook encouraged her bad manners, while poor Usopp blushed and stammered at her few but often foul words. Luffy and Chopper were a little too pure to truly catch her tone.

Best of all—Zoro was endlessly easy to piss off. It only took one raunchy suggestion about the implied impotence of needing more than one sword, or simply a few well-placed chakra pokes.

Though she expected it, the noisiness of the crew could still set her on edge. She often took to high places, balancing on a railing or fixture nearby but not too close, trying to find a little relief from the incessant shrieking.

During the most earsplitting times, Fi outright  _yearned_  to swim in the quiet sea again, where it was a different kind of silent when you ducked under the waves. But, through her years, she'd learned that more severe injuries were made much worse by the salinity of the sea.

So, until her shoulder healed a little more, she'd stay out of the water and on the dry,  _boisterous_ Sunny.

 

* * *

 

One morning early in the week, Usopp and Chopper offered to teach her about their garden. Fi happily obliged, glad for the distraction while she couldn't train or pick fights to pass the time. The pair spent the morning describing all the functional flora in their garden, showing her various processes for turning plants into either medicine or weapons.

But when Luffy joined them after lunch, the young trio revealed their campaign to witness every ninja cliché in the book.

Fi dealt with their endless,  _exhausting_  curiosity in various ways.

The easiest options were to either leave a clone to distract them until she escaped to another part of the ship, or simply use a substitution jutsu and disappear without a word.

The three young Straw Hats still got stars in their eyes at the latter, when the smoke inevitably cleared to reveal an inanimate object had taken her place or, much to her own amusement, the next most proximate Straw Hat.

It wasn't  _her_  fault that person tended to be a sleepy, surly marimo.

Sometimes she answered the boys' chants of ' _nin-ja-show_ ' by poking them rapid-fire in their ribs, advising they  _dodge_ if they didn't like it.

Once, in an endeavor to put down their enthusiasm, she unintentionally confused the crew with three different Fi-clones around the Sunny at the same time. Each clone chased down one of the three boys jabbing at them until they were all pleading for her to stop.

Zoro was particularly wounded by the ' _ninja_   _sham_ ' after one of her clones gave  _him_  the same— _okay_ , admittedly rougher—treatment. The man attempted to retaliate, only to have her clone disappear in a characteristic  _'poof'_ of smoke that was apparently  _'tackier than her shitty purple hair._ '

The swordsman lamented about it until an annoyed Sanji knocked him on his ass, starting an entertaining fight.

The original, non-clone Fi watched from the roof of the crow's nest.

 

* * *

 

It didn't take long for Fi to identify her preferred time of day on the Sunny.

After dinner, the crew lounged around the deck, generally enjoying themselves but with less volume.

Luffy and Chopper tended to rise and fall with the sun, so by evening, they were usually touch quieter. The adults varied a little more on the times they woke and went to bed, but a few hours after dinner, most were fatigued.

Zoro, on the other hand, seemed to like the darkness. Whether he had watch duty or not, the man was always awake well into the hours of the next day.

It was just an organic  _thing_  they developed, borne mainly after the sun fell, when she and the green-haired cutie were the only ones awake. She found herself completely partial to his proximity, whatever the circumstance, and he seemed to reciprocate.

On the nights when Fi was in the crow's nest for lookout, he trained rigorously or drank and then snoozed nearby. Fi watched the sea and the snoring moss head, still half-amazed at the shift in their dynamic from the weeks prior.

In the mornings, she often kicked him awake as she departed for breakfast, prodding his ribs with chakra-enhanced toes and earning his delightful, sleepy swearing.

The only time Fi didn't arrive last to breakfast was when she towed along a grouchy, yawning Zoro. It earned them a few raised eyebrows and much teasing from the rest of the crew, but she only encouraged it.

She  _loved_  to make the man's face red or elicit his dirtier side—both were wins.

If it was Zoro's turn for night watch, Fi napped by the man, usually curled next to him on the couch they shared in the crow's nest. Though he tended to let her sleep, he seemed all too satisfied to return the occasional rude awakening, dragging her off the cushions by her ankle. The moss head learned the hard way to stay out of reach if he chose to wake her in such a manner.

And despite that the man essentially functioned as Chopper's annoyingly shrewd little helper elf, he pitied her enough to involve her in  _some_  of his training.

Fi often stood on top of the barbell as he pressed it over his chest, over his head, or squat with it across his back. As she balanced above him, she always made an attempt to distract him with some lewdness. Despite his objections, they'd only fallen over  _once_.

And anyway, Zoro gave it back to her two fold—they flirted explicitly, both shameless.

Still, he would hear nothing of her participation when he was swinging around a loaded barbell like it was a goddamn katana, or anytime it was clamped between his teeth. She had a stronger bite than most, but Fi wouldn't bet on her own jaws against that man's.

Although her words were mostly designed to try the man's patience, Zoro genuinely impressed her.

His absurd strength made Fi sweat, but there was something  _else_  about his discipline and resolve… It made her warm in a way she didn't recognize.

It was a thought that nagged at her.

 

* * *

 

Through the week, Sanji continued to allow Fi in the galley whenever she wandered in and sat on the counter.

Sometimes they chatted, sometimes they were quiet. Either way, the man had a gentle, no-bullshit demeanor that she appreciated immensely. She also rather enjoyed his sexual freedom that was often misinterpreted as perverted.

While each of the Straw Hats exuberantly and noisily carved themselves into her long-dead stone heart, Fi would take pleasure in murdering any being or creature who caused Sanji too much grief.

 _To put it lightly_.

And no matter how often she offered her assistance, he only accepted her help as a ' _taste-tester_.' She was suspicious that he simply didn't want her to get in the way or ruin anything, but she stopped over-thinking it when he started pairing her snacks with aperitifs.

Sanji also gave her the four-digit passcode to the kitchen security system, to all but Robin and Nami's dismay. The blonde told her she was free to snack as she wanted since he trusted her.

Fi also learned it was a newly installed security system, too, resulting from Luffy's most recent midnight snack attack. It was same episode that forced the Straw Hats to stop on that fateful, no-name, island a few weeks back.

For that, she resolved to not get too irritated with the captain's appetite in the future.

 

* * *

 

Probably due to her more frequent complaints of boredom, Franky, Brook, and Usopp took an afternoon to teach her how to operate the vessels of the Sunny's soldier dock system.

First, Brook and Usopp showed her how to control the Mini Merry II. Everything was fine until the skeleton asked to see her panties.

Usopp looked terrified as Fi calmly explained her plot to tie a dumbbell to Brook's skull and send his head to the bottom of the ocean if he ever asked her such a thing again. The skeleton  _yohoho_ -ed, but she insisted she wasn't kidding, and he'd not asked again.

That same morning, Franky showed her how to use the waiver, explaining its mechanics before taking her on a ride. She stood behind him on the device, hanging onto him as they blasted around the ocean near the Sunny, skipping across the waves like a flat stone.

It was  _exhilarating_ , and she couldn't wait to give it a try, but the big man hooted with glee when they switched places and she stood in front of the too-tall handlebars.

Laughing in big, obnoxious gauffs, he promised to install a step for her since she was too short to operate it on her own.

Fi frowned and turned on him, giving him several stern pokes to the ribs, only to realize it didn't work on a cyborg with a torso of metal.

Franky continued bellowing in laughter and egged her on by making fun of her stature—at least until she hit upon a tender spot.

His ass wasn't metal, after all.

Unfortunately, Zoro had been in earshot where he napped at the Sunny's bow and picked up on the fact that he could annoy her by insulting her height. The shitty marimo spread  _that_  among the crew within the week.

The Straw Hats could be a bunch of little busy-body gossips when the mood struck them.

After lunch that same day, Usopp and an enthusiastic Luffy took her on a trip in the shark submerge.

For Fi, it was fun for a total of three minutes.

She belatedly recalled the rubber fool couldn't lower his voice to save his life, and that Usopp matched his captain's volume. They shouted about every fish and wondered what it tasted like, veritable chatterboxes with vocal chords rivaling that of the biggest whales in the seas.

Fi's ears rang, but she plugged them with her fingers and tried to enjoy their excitement all the same—it made sense for Luffy, a devil fruit eater, to be enthralled with life under the sea.

She lasted about twenty minutes.

Her nerves were  _shot._  It was the way their voices bounced off the metal walls, echoing sharply, assaulting her senses from multiple times from every damn angle.

The ringing got quite painful, and the resulting headache felt like it would turn her head inside-out. It hurt enough that she couldn't tell if it was psychosomatic or not, nor did she care.

"Hey, Usopp?"

He didn't hear her over his argument with Luffy, and she realized her voice was hardly a whisper.

Clearing her throat, she repeated it louder. "Usopp."

He glanced over. "Yeah? Hey, you feel okay? You look a little pale, even for you!"

She nodded. "I'm fine, but I need to go back now."

"Of course, sure." He waved at Luffy, hollering. " _Sit down_ , dammit! We're going back, and you need to sit  _DOWN_!"

"AAWW _WWWEE_." Luffy slumped over. "Already?"

She looked at the kid. "Sorry Luffy, it's my fault. We'll stay longer next time."

' _Cause she'd steal a strong sedative from Copper and covertly administer a dose to rubber-boy beforehand._

He watched her impassively for several beats, then offered his usual, easy grin. "I'm just glad we finally got to go!"

The boys resumed their bickering as Usopp expertly navigated back towards the Sunny.

It was easier than expected—she figured Luffy would argue to stay longer.

 _Huh_ … They really didn't care that she was… If they saw her demons, they acted like it was nothing.

The two were still yelling by the time they reached the ship again, and she was ten minutes closer to bashing in her own head if only to get rid of the stabbing in her cranium.

There were two Straw Hats waiting for them when as the shark submerge docked in its holding stall. The little reindeer hung over the railing along the dock a little too precariously for an anvil.

She ignored the urge to use a substitution jutsu and trade places with Zoro the second she got a glimpse of his green spikes through the window.

Instead, she waited patiently while Usopp popped the hatch, following him out at normal, snail pace.

As she climbed up the ladder, her eyes found Zoro's immediately.

She honestly couldn't decide if the set to his jaw was angry or because he was trying not to laugh.

Chopper called out excitedly, grabbing her attention. "FIIIOOR— _GAAAH_!"

He slipped as she might have predicted, but Zoro grabbed the kid's antler, steading him with one hand, not even glancing down. Both looked far too accustomed with the routine.

The doctor continued like nothing happened. "Wasn't it too  _coooool_?!"

His high-pitched voice seared her, but she just nodded, stepping off the top of the shark submerge and onto its small, wooden dock.

"Definitely cool."

Zoro's gaze picked at her, and she knew the damned man saw her stress despite that she was perfectly composed.

The three boys were immediately engaged with one another, their voices were still echoing around the small space, far too loud.

She turned to the moss head again, who was reading her  _too damn easily_.

" _What_?"

"At what point did you think  _that_  was a good idea?"

" _Shut up._ "

He huffed a laugh, but the way his open eye roved her face told her that he wasn't amused.

"I  _wanted_ to go." She breathed the words in explanation, rubbing an eye socket with the heel of her hand, trying to find any relief for the pounding headache. " _Fuck_."

The explicative was emphatic enough to deepen Zoro's frown. " _Oi_. Up top, then."

She inhaled evenly, pulling the threads of her control a little tighter as she nodded, not arguing for once.

They turned together towards the ladder to the lawn deck, and he motioned her ahead of him.

"Go on. Idiotic ninja first."

She gladly acquiesced in spite of her words. "So you can stare at my ass?"

" _Heh_. Definitely a fringe benefit, now that you mention it."

Despite herself, she, too, breathed a short laugh.

 _Damn him_.

Finally back on the lawn deck, Fi rolled her shoulders out and felt sheer relief having the volume turned down a few notches. It wouldn't last—the boys would come topside soon, too.

Fi turned to Zoro as he emerged from the hatch, but he spoke first.

"S'just me in the nest."

"See you there."

She didn't wait for him to respond, immediately building chakra in her legs as she crouched in preparation and launched herself upwards. She put a hand on the balcony railing and swung both legs up and over, clearing it.

Fi made a bee-line across the interior of the crow's nest and softly groaned as she fell face-first onto the navy blue couch, trying to breathe deeply. Being above the noise helped.

After a few minutes, she heard him making his way up the rope ladder, but she didn't bother to move.

Zoro didn't say a word as he tromped across the room and found a seat on the floor in front of the couch. He simply reclined back against the furniture and crossed his arms behind his head to get comfortable.

He watched the sea while she let the pounding headache recede infinitesimally.

After a while, she still felt like shit. Before she could think too much about it, Fi did something she hadn't done in  _so_  damn long.

"Zoro?"

She turned so her cheek rested on the cushion she could see him, and true to form, he turned his sharp attention to her.

"Can you find me something small to eat? Please?"

"Uh..." His brows knit together, realizing she was really asking. "Sure."

She spoke as he hopped up and strode away. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah."

Zoro returned a short few minutes later with a plate of food obviously thrown together by Sanji, since the fruits were neatly assorted by color and sweetness.

She dragged herself upright, sitting cross-legged as she took the plate he handed her.

"Sexual tension aside, I could fucking kiss you right now."

" _Che_." He sat on the floor again, right in front of her, reclining back against the couch since her legs were pulled up. "I still can't believe you said please without an attitude."

Fi immediately dug into the fruit, and after a minute, she held her plate out over his shoulder so it was in front of him.

He glanced over his shoulder as he plucked two pieces of green melon off her plate.

 _There was something in the way he looked at her just now…_ Such a casual,  _familiar_  thing.

She ate quietly and put her plate to the side when she finished, laying back down and stretching out.

Her eyes traced the lines on the back of Zoro's tanned knuckles, where his hands cradled his head, mossy spikes sticking up here and there. Leaning back as he was, his bulky mass was but a few hand lengths from her face, his smell all the more potent with their nearness.

She sighed quietly, whispering the admittance. "It was worth it."

His low voice rumbled against the cushion. "I know."

"I'm gonna sleep now."

"I'll wake you for dinner."

For a second time, Fi asked something else she hadn't since, well...

"You'll stay?"

"Right here."

 

* * *

 

The next day, Fi spent a  _quiet_  afternoon with Robin and Nami in the observation deck.

The two women described the library's organization and were endlessly willing to give access to and discuss texts and maps.

Robin also caught on that Fi had more formal tutelage than the rest of the crew. She revealed that her particular ninja clan prided themselves on keeping and maintaining vast archives, so she was well-educated by circumstance.

While Nami and Robin worked on their own tasks, Fi read about the early East Blue crew's discovery of the so-called Lost Island. The account about Apis and grandpa Ryu was recorded and written by Robin at a much later date but featured only the first five Straw Hats.

She had a hard time imaging those fresh, young faces, probably naive in many ways, yet to see the Grand Line and New World. Robin's logs helped her picture it a little better.

After a day among the surprisingly extensive logs and reference material, Fi joined Nami and Robin in the bathhouse for a relaxing, hot soak.

The easy female friendship was a new experience for Fi—the sex ratio of the Fang clan was heavily male-biased—and something she didn't know she was missing.

After a while, Nami toweled off and departed, needing to check the ship's heading before dinnertime. Robin and Fi remained a while longer, soaking in hot water peacefully.

Fi read about the early crew's experience on Reverse Mountain and its connection to Brook, while Robin continued making notes in one of her logs in preparation for making landfall in just a short couple days.

"Oh, Fi." Robin got her attention. "At this next stop, would you like to pick up a piece of comfortable furniture for the crow's nest?"

She turned her eyes to Robin's, thinking of the various pieces already scattered around the room by the huge windows.

"Isn't there plenty?"

"Well, yes, but everyone had a say in what went up there. They picked out what they wanted to use during their night-watch shifts."

"Ah, thanks, but that's quite alright." Fi shrugged, thinking about how she'd have to leave them sooner rather than later anyway. "You've done too much already."

"The boys' beanbag chairs and old recliners are extremely unhygienic. I advise you avoid them." There was a mischievous look in her icy blue eyes. "Might I ask from where you've been keeping lookout?"

"Sometimes from the roof. I like the open air."

"And how about other times—you stay inside?"

Fi pursed her lips. "I do."

"Where do you find it most comfortable to sit?"

 _Damn astute woman_. She narrowed her eyes at Robin.

"Take a guess, 'cause I'm not gonna say it."

" _Fufufu_ —I thought so. Doesn't it bother your sensitive nose?"

"The whole crow's nest— _hell_ —the entire ship hurts my nose." She complained. "Pirates are the  _smelliest_."

"Are you sure we can't add something for you?" Robin checked despite the way she peered at Fi knowingly. "You don't have to share Zoro's odorous, sweaty couch."

"I don't mind." Fi turned and laid her head back against the edge of the tub, pensive. "It smells like… steel. And seawater."

Zoro always leaned his swords against the couch when he trained or napped. He also regularly sat the floor in front of the couch, rewrapping the grips or polishing the metal of his weapons with cleaning oil and steel wool.

And if he was  _that_  sweaty, he slept on the floor wherever he dropped.

Fi enjoyed the man's sea-salt perspiration anyway, mostly because the way it dripped down his bronze skin, and how his sweat-soaked hair darkened just enough to truly resemble seaweed…

"Well, let me know if you change your mind." Robin murmured, watching Fi another moment before turning her attention back to her notes.

" _Mmh_." Fi hummed absently, mind's eye a little stuck on a sweaty swordsman.

 

* * *

 

After finishing her bath with Robin and surviving the usual dinner ruckus, Fi lounged in her bed, lamp on, reading another of Robin's accounts—this time about the woman's experiences on an island called Skypiea.

Fi's eyes had just begun to tire when she heard heavy boots tromping across the otherwise quiet lawn deck then up the stairs towards her quarters.

Curiously, she sat her book to the side and rolled to her belly, propping herself up on her elbows as she tilted her ear towards her door and waited.

_A visit from Zoro?_

She was dressed in black cotton sleep shorts and a white tank top, so no need to prepare or get up.

A dozen footsteps later, and the man paused just before her ajar door without opening it. "Fi?"

"Come in, Zoro."

He pushed the door open and leaned against the frame.

"Sorry, but can I,  _ah_ , borrow some steel wool? Usopp's an asshole and melted my entire stash, and Wado's getting this spot…"

She motioned to her desk with her head, where her supplies were still spread out from a few days ago. "Of course. All yours."

Zoro eyed her for a beat but finally crossed the threshold and moved to her desk, turning his gaze to her gleaming weapons and the few remaining grimy ones she'd yet to clean.

If she was being generous, she'd say he was close to cracking a smile.

"You can work at my desk if you want." She offered casually. "It's already set up for the task."

He looked to her again. "You don't need to be polite with me."

"I know." Still propped on her elbows, she rest her cheek in her palm and continued to look up at him, matter-of-fact. "I happen to like the idea of you in my room."

He kept his eye on hers as he took a seat at her chair. "In that case, thanks."

"Push my weapons to the side." She directed as she pulled the book in front of her again, opening to her bookmark and looking down. "You won't hurt anything except yourself."

Zoro gave a quiet snort at her thinly-veiled word of caution and turned to his work.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him carefully relocate her shuriken and kunai to the head of the desk, near the animal figurine from Luffy. He removed all three of his swords from behind his haramaki and sat two to the side. Unsheathing the white sword, he laid it across her desk carefully, setting about his task.

 _Was the white sword the one he called Wado?_ Was it the legendary  _Wado Ichimonji_?

Fi admittedly read slower this time, since her mind kept wandering to the swordsman quietly working at her desk.

After finishing with the white sword and setting it to the side, he looked to her as he picked up one of her dirty kunai. "I can take care of these while I'm at it."

She turned her head to him. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to."

A smile tugged on her features. "Then, thanks."

He turned back to his work, and she pretended to read for a while longer.

Fi knew she'd have to reread everything she'd skimmed since that man sat down.

 

* * *

 

Zoro's hands worked methodically, and he paid attention to the chore. It was a trivial thing, really, but when Fi's kunai were polished to perfection, he felt annoyingly accomplished.

He absolutely suppressed the horrible and embarrassing notion that a microscopic part of him liked doing something small for the little ninja.

Obviously  _not_.

He simply enjoyed the task and took pride in well-kept blades.

… _Goddammit_.

Before such an inane thing could ruin the peace that came with using his hands, Zoro turned his attention to the dirty ninja stars on her desk.

The shuriken took considerably longer to clean with the intricacies of the razor-sharp edge, but just as he was finishing the last one, Fi closed her book and pushed it to the side.

He turned his eye to her, mentally filing away the image of her casually stretched out across her bed when she rolled to her side and propped her head on her palm to regard him.

"Will you tell me about your swords?" She requested.

Her words stopped him short for a second, and his hands stilled. "What about them?"

"The white one… You called it Wado? What's its grade? What about the other two? Are they named, too?"

 _She wanted to know about his swords_?

His confused silence made her backtrack.

"Ah. Boring, generic talk for a swordsman. Forget it"

Fi reached for her book again, pink creeping up her cheeks, but he finally found his voice despite that he still felt surprised by her question.

"You really wanna know?"

She hesitated but nodded at him, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and even managing to look a little  _sheepish_  for the first time in front of him... perhaps for the first time in her damn life.

_This girl…_

He sat the cleaned shuriken on her desk as he inhaled steadily.

Zoro launched into a short description of each of this three swords, giving their names and grades as she requested. She was wrong about the question being boring—it was one of the few topics Zoro cared to  _talk_  about at any length.

Her eyebrows were raised by the end of his answer, and she was sitting up, cross-legged on her bed.

"How'd you come by Shusui? A black blade from  _Wano_? Is it a very different kind of katana?"

"You know which questions to ask." He didn't fight the grin caused by her interest as he reached behind himself, locating the sword and pulling it forward.

She smiled in a tight-lipped, sharing way as she took the sheathed Shusui he offered. "Among ninja, my clan is renowned for their records of such things. The names are somewhat familiar at least."

He watched her examine the sheath's simple pattern, running her hands down the length of it. She palmed the grip firmly, a small smile still playing on her lips.

She slowly slid the sheath halfway down the blade, eyes dancing along the hamon, inspecting the hand-guard.

All _hell._

Curiosity suited the girl.

She looked up, finding his gaze immediately, and he very nearly flinched when the eagerness in her eyes made his goddamn cock twitch.

 _Fuck—okay,_ he definitely liked the look on her face right now, but what the hell was his problem?

"May I?"

"Carefully." He warned, wholly unhappy about his low tone but hoping she merely took it as sternness.

He was pretty sure he hallucinated the evocative anticipation in her features, but the way she kept her excited gaze on his for a few beat and bit on her bottom lip was  _doing things_  to him.

 _Nothing_  to do with her bright heliotrope and metal tones… or the way that damn tank-top was thin and fitted and short enough to reveal her navel piercings…

Fi looked back down to Shusui and measuredly pulled the blade free from its sheath.

She ghosted her fingers down the saw-tooth hardening line then ran her thumb perpendicular across the sharp edge, expertly testing its sharpness in a way that wouldn't cut her. After carefully gauging its weight, she gripped the hilt with both hands, slowing raising it in front of herself.

Satisfaction was written all over her face as she eyed the blade, and her low hum of approval sent another wave of heat through his body, pooling in his low abdomen.

_Goddammit..._

Did she have any idea what she was  _doing_  to him?!

Zoro inhaled slowly, speaking to distract himself from his hard-on.

"You're awfully comfortable with that for someone who isn't a swordsman."

Her eyes found his again, and she  _actually_  smiled, as wide as he'd seen yet. For all his debauched thoughts, it was a bright expression that captivated Zoro almost as much as her next words.

"I'm no swordswoman, but I learned the basics long ago."

He blinked at her, staring blankly for probably too long before he finally responded.

"…Are you tellin' me you know how to use a katana?"

She nodded, still grinning. "Yup. I haven't  _trained_  with one in, hell, fifteen years. But in another life, I wasn't too bad with katana like yours.  _Heheh_ —only ever used one though."

He clamped his jaw shut and shook his head. "I, uh… should have guessed."

She lowered Shusui, sheathing it again in one smooth motion. "So—are you going to tell me how you came to possess this?"

"Um…" He tried and mostly failed to blink away the unreasonably sexy image of Fi wielding a katana.  _Fuck._  "Ah, right…"

Zoro briefly described his peculiar fight with Ryuma back on Thriller Bark, glad for the disruption from his inner machinations.

He forced himself to relax, toeing off his boots and leaning back in Fi's desk chair. He raised his legs to stretch them out next to Fi, along her bed, and folded his hands behind his head.

And he was encouraged by the way Fi fully faced him, still sitting cross-legged at the edge of her bed closest to him, actually listening. He tried not to fixate on the fact that her bent knee touched his outer thigh with the way she leaned back on her palms, or how she watched him with those darkened gems of eyes.

"How'd you get the cursed Kitetsu?" She eyed the weapon behind him briefly, but her eyes glinted with delight. "It's  _mean_."

He chuckled at her observation. "I can't believe you really want to hear about this shit."

"I already told you—Fang have a thing for  _information_." She pressed her lips together, sniffing. "You have three named, high-grade swords. It's not  _insignificant_  intel."

Her excuse was betrayed by the rosy color that had bloomed and persisted on her cheek bones and the skin of her chest.

He'd never known passive details to be so goddamn distracting.

Zoro found himself describing their crazy stop at Loguetown, and how a now-marine-captain picked it out of a barrel of random katana, losing her  _shit_  when she found out who he was, a rivalry that persisted through today.

He didn't know why Fi started frowning, but the reason for her poor humor was quickly revealed. "You have a thing for her or something? The swordswoman?"

"What's it to ya, half-pint?" He teased, admittedly smug that she would care about that detail.

Fi pushed her lips to the side, narrowing her eyes. " _Nevermindjackass._ "

" _Hahaha_ —ow!" He laughed at her transparency, earning a sharp kick to his thigh closest to her.

" _Moving on_." She huffed. "How did you come by Wado?"

It wasn't difficult for him to talk about his lifelong ambition, nor was it hard for him to reflect on the promise he made with Kuina.

And he knew the question was coming. He'd not thought twice about describing it all the same as the other two.

_So what was this sudden feeling?_

Zoro brought his eyes back to Fi, willing his mouth to form words but suddenly tongue tied about it.

Her features shifted, not needing a verbal explanation. "Later, then."

Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "That wasn't free—it's your turn. Tell me about chakra. Is it that weird glow thing you do?"

"I'll show you." Fi obliged, sitting up straight again and holding her hands out between them, palms up. Her hands tinged with a shimmering blue-green glow as she spoke.

"Chakra is haki, plain and simple, but with more understanding and acute control than how you idiotic pirates use it. Think of it as a pre-step to full armament haki."

Zoro leaned up and took her hands in his, inspecting them as they glowed, using observation haki to better sense what she described, noticing what she meant right away.

"So it's weak-ass armament haki."

"Not weak— _refined_." She emphasized with a warning look. "The chakra you see emanating from my hands now reflects a smaller, more  _controlled_  flow of haki, chakra, whatever, from one of several different points around the body where such power pools."

Fi described how she actively controlled the concentration or strength of chakra-haki based on need, like how far she had to leap, how hard she wanted to hit, and what kind of impact she needed to absorb to prevent hurting herself.

The result was an adaptable and  _enduring_  use of haki. It allowed her to conserve energy and withstand drawn-out fights against strong opponents.

"But if there's  _need_ …" She continued, hands turning a deep, lustrous onyx. "Armament haki is possible. Strength all depends on the person, of course."

"That's from just one of several points?"

"Right. There are seven major chakra points in a normal body." She nodded, letting the black armament haki fad from her hands as she relaxed and leaned back again. "Ninja train to both control and fully release each of these seven pools of power."

"What happens if you release more than one at the same time? Stronger haki?" Zoro wondered, leaning back again as well.

"Yes. One's power increases proportionate to the strength of the particular chakra points released." She held up a finger in caution. "It's all relative—the increase depends on the person's nature and training."

Zoro nodded, understanding that much at least. "What happens if all seven are released?"

"Good question, but that, too, hinges on a person's disposition. Only a handful of ninja can actually do such a thing, and it's different for each of us."

"What's it like for you?"

Fi's lips curled into an enigmatic smile. "I'll show you sometime."

Her expression, for no real fucking reason, lit Zoro up with interest and desire yet again. He studiously ignored the latter and forged ahead.

"You obviously use observation haki, too."

"Yes. Just as you know armament and observation haki to be distinct, ninja classify observation haki as the ability to sense a special kind of chakra called  _Chi_."

Fi continued explaining with an air that wasn't actually  _arrogant_  for once.

"Chi is the life-force chakra that flows freely through the body of every living being. A person's unique Chi is called their  _chakra signature_. It's the same as a unique haki presence."

"Some chakra-haki-whatever is concentrated into points and some flows." He repeated, scrunching his nose in distaste for details but wanting to get it right for some shitty reason. "And the ability to sense the flowing Chi stuff is the same as observation haki?"

"Right. I sense the Chi of all that's around me. The energy of attacks, the thirst of the Kitetsu behind you…" She gave him a half-smile that was certainly going to be his undoing one day. "Your volatile chakra signature."

They continued to chat back and forth about her use of observation haki.

Just like he, too, experienced, more acute concentration expanded the spatial range and scalar resolution. Being  _totally_  relaxed didn't mean she was unaware, but details blurred into the background. It sounded like her control of observation haki was so developed it was almost passive, and he wondered if even the shit cook's rivaled hers.

Zoro had a new appreciation for the speed at which Fi's speed  _mind_  worked to process it all in real-time during a fight.

It was giving him a headache, but he felt uncharacteristically inquisitive.

… _Nothing_  to do with the excited shine in her eyes as she explained shit he half understood. Not because she looked comfortable and happy to be conversing, especially considering she wasn't usually this talkative…

_Dammit._

But there  _was_  something to be said for the ninja fuckery, since it wasn't just smoke and illusions.

"I still don't understand something. The shitty clone thing. I don't see how it's possible."

She sat up, a soft fucking smile on her lips. Another new, sidetracking look he'd not seen on her face 'til now.

"Oh, no—you have to figure that one out on your own. But I'll give you a hint."

He simply watched her, waiting.

She sat up on her knees and leaned in closer to him, balancing herself on one of his outstretched legs with a hand on his thigh.

"Seeing and sensing…" Raising her other hand, she traced a finger down the scar over his eye, from his brow to his cheek, then tapped the center of his forehead with her index finger. "Makes the eagle wise."

"Connecting the inner and the outer…" She sat her hand atop his head in that way of hers, but now he sensed an implication to the action that he didn't really understand. "Makes the tiger unstoppable."

She tilted her head with a small smile, and  _yet again_ , a distracting heat shot through Zoro.

It settled there uncomfortably, because  _fuck_  did have an impulse to bring her even closer, pull her into his lap and taste—

_Shit._

He forcibly cut off  _that_  line of thought.

But _hell…_

Fi sat back again, breaking their contact, hopefully unaware of Zoro's internal conflict.

"I don't like riddles." He muttered

" _Ahhhh_ …" She yawned, blinking her eyes against fatigue. "I could have guessed as much."

He leaned up from where he reclined against the chair back and rolled his shoulders out. "I've kept you awake."

"I'm glad." She gave him an easy smile, which she'd been doing a lot tonight.

"We both need a nap."

He stood and stretched his arms as high as they could reach, shuffling to the door.

Zoro paused at the threshold and looked over his shoulder one more time. Her relaxed posture and warm expression softened her in an almost surreal way.

Then she opened her mouth.

"Sorry if I hurt your tiny brain with animal allegories meant for children."

His scowl was immediate. "You have  _no_  right to the word tiny, you ankle-biter."

"Good- _night_ , asshole pirate."

"G'night, shit ninja."

Pulling the door closed behind himself, he crossed the ship to the men's quarters, glancing to the already lightening horizon.

_It was near dawn?_

Strange. Zoro was  _not_  the chatty type. Some kind of ninjutsu bullshit, surely.

The whole thing had him feeling a kind of way that left him unable to sleep.

….Stupid tigers and eagles.

What the  _hell_?


	10. Connect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER: MENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF SUICIDE.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER: MENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF SUICIDE.
> 
> A/N: Thanks again for the encouragement and kind words everyone! I'm just so happy that others are enjoying this story :) Thank you especially to those who have taken time to comment and send nice messages. It definitely gives me energy and confidence to write!
> 
> There's also a note at the end of this chapter regarding the expected frequency of updates for the next couple of months, so see below if interested.

 

* * *

 

TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER: MENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF SUICIDE.

 

* * *

 

" _Mhh_."

Fi watched the doctor's profile as he hummed in concentration, examining her sutures.

" _Hmm_."

Her eye almost twitched. "Is that a good _hmm_  or a bad  _hmm_?"

Chopper looked over her injured shoulder another short minute then sat up, serious doctor face turning cheerful.

Fi was relieved— _finally_!

"Definitely good! You're recovering quickly. Faster than I expected and much better than the first time around!"

 _Finally_  some good news about this shitty injury. Soon, she'd train and swim and _move_  again!

"Don't get too excited." He warned. "You need to be  _very_  careful, but if you take it slow, you'll be one-hundred percent in another week or two."

The kid obviously read her too easily, considering her straight face _._

_Well, it never was just Zoro._

She gave him a small smile, cocking her head a little as she momentarily put a hand on top of his pink hat. "Thank you for the top-notch care, Chop. Even counting medic ninja, you're one of the best."

" _Shuddup!_ " A blush spread across his fuzzy face, a shimmer in his big eyes. "That doesn't make me happy or anything!"

She hadn't said it for the sake of flattery, but what she'd read about his life on Drum Island and why he joined Luffy's crew motivated her to voice her praise.

"All the same, thank you."

"Just doing my job, Fi!" He settled himself but still grinned. "It definitely helps that you're eating and sleeping properly again. Maybe it's also because you're less  _stressed_?"

 _Ah_. Stressed. The doc's code-word for her non-normalcy.

She inhaled steadily, suppressing the distinct feeling of shame. "I feel at ease here, thanks to you all."

He hummed in approval, giving her a nod. "You're adjusting to the physical proximity and contact as well? It's hard to avoid here, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, but I don't mind. It's easier now that everyone is familiar."

"That's great! You don't even seem to be dodging Luffy much anymore! Is that still very difficult?"

"It still takes some effort not to pull away. Ninja do not express themselves with physical touch except as a threat." Fi absently tilted her head, looking off into very distant memories. "On top of that, some ninja are fond of assassination via a nasty neurotoxin. It's an agonizing death."

His movements stilled as he eyed her, probably surprised she was giving him any degree of detail. "I see. That's terrible. And it could definitely be the foundation of compulsive behavior."

"I have a major favor to ask." She held his warm, brown eyes. Asking for help in any form went against her grain, but she had great confidence in Chopper. "If I gave you a sample—we call it Elderdeath—would you look into an antidote?"

"Of course." He nodded, no hesitance. "Drop off a vial, and I'll start right away."

"You have the equipment for handling something so dangerous?"

" _Mh-hm_. I have everything I need to contain and analyze a neurotoxin." He swiveled around on his stool and hopped down, going to a low cabinet and pulling it open to show her an array of hazmat equipment and microscopes.

"Convenient, but that begs a question." She raised an eyebrow. " _Why_?"

"Luffy developed a strong resistance to many poisons. I've been analyzing his antibodies to better understand it."

"Find anything compelling?"

"His resistance seems rooted in the paramecia nature of his devil fruit, but I think I can synthesize the protein structure of his antibodies in such a way it could be used for anyone!" The kid explained, his excitement evident. " _And_  it seems to be effective for diverse kinds of toxin molecules!"

"A generalized antidote? That would be...  _exceptional_."

"After Punk Hazard, Trao-guy and I decided to collaborate in hopes of realizing that goal  _and_  to prepare for the real possibility of chemical warfare against us pirates—oh, and retaliation from Magellan is almost guaranteed. So anyway, don't worry, Fi. I'll do it. I'll find an antidote for you. There's nothing I can't cure."

The sincerity and determination in his eyes made her chest ache in an increasingly familiar way, her chakra growing restless.

Ah, _hell_.

It was this  _exact_  quality that drew her in, first shown to her by Luffy all those weeks ago when he declared himself the future king of the pirates, and a disposition shared by the  _entire_  damn crew.

And Fi  _believed_  him—the young doc would find an antidote to Elderdeath if possible. He truly was in a league of his own

_As expected of the pirate king's doctor._

"I'm impressed, kid." She nodded at him but masked her enthusiasm as usual. She hopped down from his exam table and swiftly moved towards the door. "I'm  _finally_  gonna go train. You're a real miracle worker."

"You bastard, that's—" He blushed again but didn't wiggle all happily like usual, catching on. " _Hey_! I didn't say you could train!"

She brushed off his protest with a vaguely sarcastic hum. " _Mh-hm_. Thanks again, doc porkchop."

"Take it  _easy_ , Fi!" He warned with a screech as she pushed out the door, letting it swing shut between them. "And I told you I  _hate that damn name!_ "

His complains about ingratitude grew quieter as she made her way towards her quarters, her quiet laugh settling into a sigh.

She loved to mess with the kid, but Chopper's conviction and passion truly stirred her chakra. It simmered there, behind her breastbone, no outlet but invigorated all the same.

_These damn Straw Hats._

She rubbed at her chest self-consciously, embarrassed by the intensity of her reaction, but before she could get too wrapped up in her thoughts, the hollering and shuffling noises of a scuffle caught her attention.

Fi turned on her heel, heading for the lawn deck instead of her room _—_ an entertaining distraction in the form of the captain and the sogeking awaited.

She allowed herself a slight smile as she stepped up onto the balcony by the aquarium bar, watching Usopp and Luffy duking it out over surely nothing. It was this kind of carefree playfulness that endeared the crew to her over the last few weeks despite the initial hostility between her and Zoro.

Seeing Robin at the nearby table on the lawn deck, Fi hopped down to the starboard railing below and walked along the edge, body moving naturally with the motion of the ship on the waves to reach Robin, who gave her a sweet smile.

"Hello, miss ninja. You're feeling well this evening?"

Fi dropped to a seat on the railing and swung her feet idly as she rolled her shoulder. "I suppose. You?"

"Very well, thank you." Robin nodded. "Good news from the doctor?"

Fi eyed all the ship's ropes and rigging hanging here and there. It was a veritable jungle gym, but she could feel that her injury wasn't  _that_  much better yet. And anyway, Chopper would somehow find out and throw a loud,  _loud_  fit. The Straw Hats didn't know the meaning of discretion, except maybe Robin.

" _Mh-hm_. But I still can't  _do_  much."

"Just a while more, and you'll be back to full strength." She empathized, eyes returning to her book. "It's worth the wait."

She tried to keep the petulance out of her tone. " _I guess_."

Fi ceased her complaints and simply watched Usopp and Luffy's wrestling match devolve into name calling then re-escalate into pinching and eventually more brawling. She stretched along the railing, laying on her uninjured side, hand propping her head up as she rest on her elbow.

Eventually, other crew started to appear, coming and going with their business then eventually lazing around the lawn deck as night drew nearer. Brook and Franky hung near the center mast, one playing music softly and the other messing with a gear of some kind. Sanji and Nami both took seats at the table with Robin.

Fi ignored the flush of anticipation as Zoro emerged from the men's quarters, his dark eye immediately finding hers as he stalked directly towards her. She pressed her lips together to hide her enjoyment of his unending look of disapproval.

_What now?_

"Wait 'til we hit a big swell." Zoro griped as he came to a stop in front of her, crossing his thick arms over his broad chest as he frowned down at her. "You'll fall right overboard."

 _This again_?

It was a near-constant criticism from him that made  _no_  sense. She'd never given him reason to suspect her  _balance_  was off, of all things.

"Will not."

Without sitting up, Fi jabbed two stiffened fingers into the space between his ribs. She infused her fingertips with, well, not a  _small_  amount of chakra. Plenty enough to be quite painful, even by her standards.

Maybe Fi also sent a little chakra  _low_  into his abdomen, too, waking the chakra point behind his navel.

A little gift. Pain and pleasure.  _Just for Zoro_.

She retracted her hand as the man's neurons processed the sensations.

" _AGHK!_ " He squawked comically, jumping back in surprise and eye widening at the duality. "Fuck!  _W-What the hell was that for?!_ "

Since Chopper wasn't there to put an immediate stop to playtime, Fi could definitely goad Zoro into a fun little fight.

"For being annoying." She watched him vigorously rub his rib as a blush spread across his cheeks bones, maintaining her nonchalance. "My balance is impeccable."

" _Fine_!" Zoro barked, hands shooting forward to shove her backwards and off the ship. "If it's so great, then me help you overboard!"

"Tempera~ _mental_." Fi sang as she quickly sat up and simultaneously blocked his incoming hands, following up with another poke in the exact same spot between his ribs. She admittedly used  _more_  chakra. " _Tsk_. And  _slow_."

" _OUCH_! Enough with the chakra bullshit, you violent witch!"

Oh _hoho_.

That red staining his nose and cheeks looked too damn good.

"You could always, you know…" She shrugged one shoulder lazily, but he read her challenging eye-contact clearly considering his darkening expression. " _Dodge_."

" _You little shit_." He growled, menacingly grabbing for her again.

She lightly hopped off the railing and ducked under his arms, quickly evading then squaring up to him again. "I'm genuinely concerned—you  _can't_  move faster?"

Before they could go any further, Nami interrupted. "So help me, you two better chill out unless you want Chopper to give you both another lecture. None of us wanna hear it  _yet_   _again_. I swear, Fi, you'll owe me a thousand beli if you hurt yourself, and you'll owe me a hundred thousand, marimo!"

"I'm being careful." She didn't resist side-eyeing Zoro. "He can't do anything, anyway, slow as he is."

"I should slice you into a hundred pieces, you horrible ninja." He rebuffed, near totally baited. "Least you'dmake good chum _._ "

" _Ah!"_ She snapped her fingers, grinning at the irritated man as it dawned on her _. "_ That's it _—_ that's what you remind me of! I was having trouble placing it before, but now I see it."

His eye narrowed dangerously, his frown deepening in the best way. "I  _dare_  you to-"

"It's  _uncanny_." She nodded in satisfaction, cutting him off without concern for his threat, still smiling with her revelation. "But you look  _just_  like a grouchy little green sea urchin."

Another round of growled curses, another few unsuccessful swipes at her. Another bout of rapid-fire finger-jabs to his ribs, all in the same spot as before, ensuring he'd bruise there.

Maybe Fi liked leaving her mark on the man a little toomuch, but he'd  _told_  her to do her worst!

Her actions were quick and subdued despite the chakra behind it, so Zoro looked to be majorly overreacting as his face turned even redder and he raised his voice.

"I  _SWEAR_  I will fucking  _CUT YOU_!" His left hand landed on the hilt Wado, and his feet shifted to a real fighting stance.

Fi's small grin turned into a smirk. Hook, line, and  _totally baited_!

" _HEY!_  Watch it, shithead! Don't you shout at—"

Sanji started to scold Zoro for his outburst, but Usopp's voice won out as he took matters into his own hands by leaping forward and latching himself onto Zoro's arm, preventing him from drawing a sword.

"THE HERO IS HERE! THE GREAT CAPTAIN USOPP WILL SAVE YOU, FI!"

Gauffing loudly, Luffy followed his wrestling partner and launched himself at his first mate, wrapping himself around Zoro's head several times.

"Be nice, Zorooo! You're always so mad!  _Shishishi_ , and why do ya get so red when you fight Fi!? 'Cause you lose so much?!"

" _Shuddup_!" He complained, stumbling around with the added, wriggling weight. "LET  _GO_ , you damn idiots!"

As Zoro struggled to pry Luffy off his head and shake Usopp loose, Fi let herself smile a little wider.

 _Adorable_.

In their tussle, the three stumbled closer to her again. She rapidly but almost passively—no chakra this time—poked at Zoro's sides in several places.

" _Ack—STOP!_ " He flailed, blindly swatting around himself in futile defense. " _Fiore_ you _bitch!"_

" _Heheh."_ She bit her bottom lip to cut off her quiet laugh. "Angryas any sea urchin, too."

" _AHHKAKAKAKA_!" Luffy cackled loudly as he got a finger knuckle-deep in Zoro's nose, chanting. "Sea urchin! Sea urchin!"

" _That's fuckin' IT!"_  Zoro's fists hardened with armament haki as he forcefully removed Luffy's fingerand continued trying to wrestle both boys off him.

Fi chuckled at the ridiculous trio again.

She let up on Zoro and refocused on Usopp and Luffy, poking their sides with the same merciless treatment Zoro got before, but without the extra  _flavor_  of chakra— _that_  was definitely reserved for the green-haired grump.

Their comical squawking and surprise allowed Zoro to finally pry them both off, jumping away from the two boys with a victorious grin. " _HAAA!_ "

The flustered cutie turned and pointed a finger at Fi accusingly, his grin turning absolutely murderous. "And  _YOU!_ "

 _Oooh_ , that  _look_!

Fi returned his grin as she gave a lithe little hop backwards up onto the starboard railing.

Luffy and Usopp also refocused their attention on her, demonic glints in their eyes at the prospects of retaliation for the pokes.

She crouched slightly as she accumulated a small bit of chakra in her feet— _here they come!_

In the next instant, the three launched themselves at Fi, but she jumped up and used Luffy's head as a springboard, flipping over them unexpectedly and far too quickly for their slow, grabbing hands.

She gently landed on the balls of her chakra-enhanced feet in the center of the table around which Robin, Nami, and Sanji relaxed. She startled but didn't disturb them as she only momentarily touched down before silently launching herself across the lawn deck, not so much as jostling their drinks thanks to the little bit of chakra concentrated in her feet.

Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro, however, in their attempt to follow her, definitely did  _not_  have the same kind of grace and ease of movement.

Things got frenetic and  _loud_  as Sanji, Nami, and Robin experienced a head-on collision.

Well, damn—that was short-lived. She wanted more of a  _chase_ , but the fools crashed near instantly.

Fi wrinkled her nose then crouched and sprang up to the second-story deck railing to escape the increasing volume. As much as she wanted to spar, they wouldn't  _really_  give her the fight she craved—not with her injury—so it wasn't worth the pierced ear-drums and subsequent migraine.

At least it was still amusing to watch, so she got comfortable and enjoyed the Straw Hat show.

Swords were drawn. Flaming kicks were thrown. Disembodied hands held down rubber captains and snipers as navigators pinched and scolded. Insults and curses where hollered in all directions, echoing out over the quiet ocean.

Chopper soon appeared on deck, too, the noise likely drawing him out of his office. For no discernable reason, the kid jumped into the fray, all too happily wrestling with the others.

Fi simply looked on from her seat on the safe railing above the noise, sufficiently entertained, observing their various rough-housing styles. They didn't really hold back on each other, but none of it was particularly  _aggressive_. Who knew pirates could be so damn soft?

" _Oi_!" Zoro turned during a lull in the battle and shouted up at her. "You started all this! Get down here! I'm gonna cut you up!"

She stuck her tongue out at him and tugged at her bottom eyelid, making a childish noise. " _Naaaa_."

His jaw started to drop indignantly, surely about to fire off an insult, but Luffy abruptly slammed into him so hard that they both soared out and over the port railing before dropping into the sea below, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Everyone paused their frenzied antics and looked on with mild curiosity as Zoro quickly resurfaced with the exhausted looking captain. He made his way back aboard via a thick rope ladder hanging down the side of the ship, one expressly left in place for this very purpose.

Rescuing a devil-fruit eater from a watery grave was unnervingly common on this ship, the fools. And captain rubber-boy was the damn  _worst_  of them all. Fetching the idiot would probably be her full-time job on the Sunny once her shoulder was better.

Nearing the top of the ladder, Zoro roughly chucked their captain up and over the railing before hoisting himself over as well, swinging his legs over and planting his boots on the deck with a heavy, wet squelch.

Sanji slammed his heel into the captain's chest a few times, complaining about the boy's reckless idiocy as he lit a cigarette.

Luffy spit up a load of water and rolled over, coughing and laughing.

Zoro joined Sanji in scolding their captain as he pulled off his wet shirt, revealing his tanned torso and handsome scars.

_Yes, please._

Fi's head tilted slightly as she watched the wet swordsman, appreciating the flex and bulge of his thick chest and arms as he rang out his shirt. His muscles contracted invitingly as he pulled his swords off his waist and set them aside to dry.

Why did his damned vascular  _forearms_  put her mind in such a dirty place?

 _Mmmhh_ —maybe because she could all too easily imagine his iron grip and dexterity all over her.

As Zoro moved about, Fi eyed the hard planes of his abdominals and sharp hip dips, the enticing trail of green hair below his navel and disappearing behind his wet pants... She admired the outline of his lower body, revealed by the way his soaking pants clung to him as he irritably kicked off his soggy boots…

Her thoughts were cut off when her study-subject turned his brooding glare on her.

"This is all your fault!"

She unhurriedly dragged her gaze back up his body to meet his eye.

Fi  _very much_  liked the idea of tangling with the swordsman when he looked like that, salt-water dripping down his bronzed skin, worked up as hell.

From her perch on the railing above, she gave him a meaningful  _look_  as she met his glare.

"Come up here and do something about it, mossy."

He looked ready to do just that, jaw clenched and eye narrowed. His ears reddened again a little again as he read her intent, but his features betrayed his predatory nature.

 _Oooh,_ hell yes.

Hunter Zoro was the sexist Zoro.

He opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly, Sanji started scolding him again for something. She heard Zoro's silent promise that he'd not soon forget her challenge, but the moment between them was gone, his attention diverted a second later.

What was he about to say?

_Tantalizing._

Fi suppressed a shiver and let the arguing below distract her from dirtier images.

The squabbling and banter settled down again after a few minutes, and finally, the younger crew tired. The chaos and noise died out. The adults resumed their lazing, too.

As usual, Zoro sat directly on the deck, reclining back against the railing at the edge of the ship. Eyes closed, hands folded behind his head, he appeared to nap.

Fi silently made her way along the edges of the ship, dropping down to the lawn deck rail with everyone else. Noiselessly, she laid on her back along the railing above Zoro's head without disturbing him, folding her fingers together and resting her hands atop her belly, stretching her legs out straight and crossing them at the ankles.

The air was temperate, the stars were just starting to twinkle high above the orange twilight of the horizon, and there was nothing but deep, dark ocean in all directions.

Zoro would probably  _try_  to shove her overboard, but that was nothing to fear, not with how obvious his ridiculous haki was.

So, she  _actually_  relaxed, letting the gentle rocking of the ship lull her.

The lapping of the waves on the Sunny's hull was enjoyable, as was the low murmur of Sanji and Nami's voices as they chatted…

The quiet, metallic whirs of Usopp and Franky's tinkering…

The occasional rustle of paper as Robin turned a page of her book and clink of Brook's teacup as he sipped…

The soft snores of Chopper and Luffy as they rested nearby in a tuckered-out heap…

And finally, the faintest  _tinkling_  of Zoro's earrings as they moved in the sea breeze.

Fi was  _reveling_  in these quiet moments of peace with the Straw Hats.

 

* * *

 

Zoro cracked his eye open, subtly gazing over his right shoulder at the asshole ninja's profile.

Fi laid across the railing above his shoulders, perpendicular to him, eyes closed and wearing that barely-there, stupid smile of hers. Really, it was only the slightest upturn of her lips, and it shouldn't have such an effect on him.

Her long hair wasn't tied back and blew about in the air to his right, occasionally brushing against his arm and tickling his neck. Her hair seemed as soft as it looked, which only intensified his desire to scratch his nails against her scalp and run his fingers through the silky strands.

He wasn't sure how she balanced so casually or managed to look comfortable in that position, and he was ninety-eight percent certain he'd push her overboard in a few minutes because his sides were so fucking sore, but...

Damned if it didn't look like she belonged  _right there._

Over the last week, it became apparent Fi was a natural fit on the Sunny—well, if you discounted the cold-blooded murderer vibes. But it wasn't just that she got on well with everyone. Having the troublesome girl at _his_ backlike this felt good.

Something uncomfortable twisted his gut.

Ah, _dammit._

His friendship with Fang Fiore was getting murkier by the damn day.

The time with her last night— _she wanted to know about his swords, for fuck's sake_ —pushed him into admitting a few things to himself as he lay awake in his bunk until breakfast that morning.

Zoro closed his eye again and returned to his resting position, exhaling a cleansing breath, thinking.

Maybe he had an addictive personality—he tended to be obsessed or uninterested—but that disposition had never extended to  _romance_.

Usually, he found himself attracted to a woman for a brief spell, just long enough to satisfy himself and his companion. But his attention came with the explicit condition it was very temporary—that was simply his nature and suitable for his current path.

Yet, here he was. Uncharted territory.

Lost in purple and metal.

Tangled up in a beautiful, deadly ninja girl.

He was infuriatingly, embarrassingly consumed by their developing companionship, with that quietly brimming personality of hers spilling over her stoicism. She was all quick grins and maddening pouts, all controlled but still hot-tempered, subdued but so damn sharp-tongued.

 _Such a bad little thing_!

But goddammit, wasn't that just exactly why he was so taken with her? Nothing platonic about it.

That fact didn't necessarily mean much on its own, but Fi  _reciprocated_.

She was explicit about her own wants and constantly dared him to make a move as she made her own advances anyway. The girl was bold and unapologetic, and he couldn't get enough.

But that  _chakra_  of hers...

Zoro damn well knew the little ninja liked to tease him. Fi was far, far rougher with him than any of the others and was all too happy to toe the line that was his tolerance. He liked to think her painful form of attention was a sign of affection designed by her for him.

So like the goddamn masochist he knew himself capable of being, he was near her much of the time. And the more time they spent together, the more intensely he craved her.

All of her.

 _Shit_.

Zoro let present come back into focus, where his crewmates were still lying around, yawning but awake. They'd  _not_  approve if he popped wood.

His traitorous mind sang that the ninja would probably appreciate it, though.

_Double shit._

He shifted subtly, making sure his semi hard-on was hidden as he forced his mind away from images of her slowly crawling onto his lap and sitting, scratching her nails down his chest and leaning in, biting his—

 _Fuck_.

He even got lost in hormonal fantasies of her.

_Ugh._

Suppressing a growl, Zoro considered the silent but electrifying presence currently stretched out along the railing above him, effortless and casual but likely  _fully_  suspecting his revenge plot to push her overboard. Still, she laid there anyway.

_Such arrogance._

That ninja's attitude was already a royal pain in his ass.

His left hand silently shot up, shoving at her over his left shoulder but making only a whisper of contact with the skin of her thigh before his wrist was deflected upwards by her palm.

 _How?!_  How did she  _always_  know? Stupid ninja Chi!

Fi's fingers clasped tightly around his wrist, holding his hand in place just above her hip. The warm, tell-tale tingle of chakra was a warning that she'd put up a painful fight if he tried to out-muscle her.

But  _hell_ —he liked the way it felt to have her chakra sinking into his skin, at least when she wasn't mutilating his intercostal muscles. Like earlier, when it sank all low into his body…

Her fingers didn't quite reach all the way around his wrist, and  _fuck him_ , his dirty mind only imagined how her small hand also wouldn't wrap entirely around—

" _Zo_ ~ _ro_."

Turning his head just a fraction, he looked at her from the corner of his eye, over his right shoulder again.

She peered down at him, features softened with her quiet, amused chide, not saying anything more but not releasing his wrist either.

Even though he wasn't  _ever_  like this with a woman, it felt for all the fucking world natural between them.

"Can't blame me for tryin'." He shrugged.

She rolled her eyes and finally released his wrist, trailing a finger down his forearm as she dropped her hand to her belly again.

"Apology accepted."

The affection in her light touch was so subtle, but if you knew her well enough… He  _very_  much liked to be on the receiving end of those little gestures, too.

 _...Goddammit_.

"I think I hate you a little bit." He muttered.

"Wow." Her eyes closed again, a satisfied set to her lips. "I didn't take you for such a sweet talker, seaweed."

" _Che_." He frowned and closed his eye, relaxing into his usual position nap again. "You're an idiot, purple."

"Maybe, but what does that make you?"

" _Shuddup."_

Her quiet breath of a laugh lit him up in a shitty, no good way.

_Godfuckingdammit._

* * *

The others went to bed a few hours ago, but Fi stayed topside, dozing along the railing behind Zoro.. Her ability to stay balanced like that while  _asleep_  outright baffled him, but he was getting used to it by now. She made this noise in her sleep; not quite a snore but just a quiet catch of air on her long inhales. Otherwise, her breathing remained deep and even and undisturbed.

For the last hour, the little thing had been lights-out. He could push her overboard, but where's the fun in that?

And anyway, the slumbering Fi's distinct breathing pattern was apparently the metronome by which he meditated these days. It just happened one night—that first time she fell asleep next to him—and it was his new favorite habit.

Zoro's inner attention was on the novel awareness he discovered after their talk last night about haki-chakra-whatever.

He already felt specific places in his body from where his haki emanated, but he never considered it beyond the point of just  _using_ it. He recalled Fi's so-called hints—how she traced his scar, tapped his forehead, and put her hand on his head.

And wouldn't ya know, the shitty ninja hadn't been fucking with him after all.

His skull was a veritable  _cesspool_  of haki.

The knotted, dense power was slowly becoming clearer to him, since he was actually trying to explore it. His haki seemed to take on glob-like shapes, boiling and rolling around themselves in messy wads of restless energy.

Right behind his frontal bone…

In his left eye socket…

The largest pool of energy seemed concentrated near the crown of his head.

 _Heh_ —that damn girl.

_But what's a damn tiger got to do with anything?_

After a long while lost in meditation, Zoro felt something pulling at his concentration. He let the world around come back into sharper focus as his mind's eye faded into the background, the sensation of manipulating haki slowly dissipating from his body.

_What was…_

Ah. It was the change in her breathing roused him from his half-nap half-meditation.

His right eye popped open and he glanced over his right shoulder to see her features tense, a bead of sweat sliding down her neck.

Oh, damn.

A nightmare?

Her brow creased further as her shoulders drew tighter, breath coming shallow and quick.

Zoro turned more fully towards her but stayed on his ass. He didn't want to startle her awake or loom over her, if he could avoid it, mostly because she'd probably maim him instantly. But she was sweat-soaked and would be hyperventilating in another minute or two if she kept it up.

"Hey."

No response

Then she flinched.  _Flinched_. The expression looked so wrong—she'd  _never_  made a face like that around him, not one single time.

He called out a little louder. "Oi,  _Fi_."

Still, she kept dreaming.

" _Fi-or-e_."

Enunciating her name, he raised a hand to shake her awake, but she sat up in a rush, lips parted with a gasp of surprise. Her eyes bounced around wildly, seeing him and seeing ghosts, looking around for something bad.

"You're alright." Zoro knew his eye widened with surprise when her cold stare finally settled on him. "It's me."

_She wouldn't have maimed—she'd have murdered._

He didn't really realized 'til that moment of iciness just how much warmth she had in her heliotrope gaze when she was on the Sunny.

"S'just me, Fi." He reassured firmly, holding her eyes steadily.

She forced her shoulders down with a roll and feigned a more relaxed posture, shaking her head softly, still breathing hard. "Um, sorry."

He watched her closely, that icy chill receding bit by bit as she caught her breath for a few minutes and found the present reality again. Fi stared back at him the entire time, probably to erase visions from her nightmare. She levelled out quickly, obviously practiced.

"Bad dream?"

The flash of angst in her pretty, cool eyes betrayed her lie as she nodded, running her hand through her hair to pull it off her sweaty forehead.

"I see. Bad memories."

She shrugged, clearing her throat and glancing away finally. "Something like that."

He watched her a few more beats before offering what he would to any of the others despite knowing she'd immediately decline.

"Wanna tell me 'bout it?"

"Nah." She shook her head, and regardless of her practiced indifference, Zoro thought she might scream with her next breath if forced to keep lying through her teeth. Instead, she inhaled with a forced slowness as she swung her legs to the deck and hopped down, standing, stretching, deflecting entirely. "You have watch tonight?"

"No. Robin." He still watched her, but she didn't look at him again. "Franky followed her up."

"Oh." Fi nodded then started across the deck slowly. "See you in the morning, then."

"Yeah."

She got halfway across the deck before she paused and looked skyward, head tilted back and eyes sad, her profile beautiful as hell in the pale-silver of the moon despite her forlorn mood. She didn't leave immediately but simply stared up at the constellations for a few minutes.

Finally, her eyes found his.

She wanted to say something, but he could see it—see the way it stuck in her throat.

"Thanks anyway, Zoro."

His brow furrowed. "Anytime, Fi."

She turned towards her quarters again, tone tight but words familiar. "Goodnight, pirate."

"G'night, little ninja."

Zoro wished she'd open up to him.

 

* * *

 

 

_-Fiore, 8 years old-_

Watching the small body swing from the rope suspended from a thick tree branch high above, she realized she wasn't surprised.

It was  _unexpected_ , but not surprising.

Fiore knew it was a possibility. The older ninja who trained the younger cohorts warned that many age-mates would die before ever seeing a first mission, for various reasons.

Death by training accident.

Death by bullying.

Death by suicide.

The rope dug so deep into his neck it was hard to differentiate fiber from purple-red skin. Hard to imagine a dull rope caused such deep ligature marks, but she'd seen it before and knew it was real.

_Why were his feet and hands all stiff like that? Is that rigor mortis?_

She took a step to the left as the wind rotated his body slightly, her neck still craned back to peer up the tree from where he hung himself—the tree they climbed regularly throughout the years.

Just two days ago, in fact, they scaled the highest branches together.

_Was he scouting a place to hang himself all this time?_

Her eyes stayed fixed on his distorted face. His head was slightly swollen up in a weird way along his left temporal bone. She didn't know. physiologically, why.

_And why were his eyes open, so panicked and full of terror?_

Hey eyes widened with the sudden though.

 _Did someone else_ —

She cut off that thought.

No.  _No_  way.

Kai was way too strong and smart to be out-muscled, tricked, or anything like that.

Fiore's eyes trailed upwards as she took a few steps to the side again, finding an angle that gave her a better view of the rope.

It was the right knot for a noose...

Her eyes continued to follow the rope upward, assessing.

_Oh._

The rope was sort of short—the drop probably wasn't far enough to break his neck.

His fingert were bloody, and if she squinted, she could see how his fingernails were bent back.

So he definitely didn't die quick with a snap of the neck.

But a trained ninja would have the self-control to asphyxiate without such a desperate struggle.

_Did he regret it, or just those last moments of agony?_

Neither seemed like Kai, but then again...

The wind kicked up, slowly turning his face towards her once more.

She could only stare up at him.

The usually bright sapphire of his eyes was barely discernible with the way they bulged, capillaries all busted and bloodshot. She was kind of glad they were milky and sickly in death. It wouldn't have felt right if they were as crystal clear as when he was living.

Part of her wished she didn't have to see Kai's dead eyes.

_Had he said or done anything lately that foreshadowed this?_

Fiore didn't know how long she stood there, staring, thinking.

She was so caught up in her observations and thoughts, so stupidly distracted, that she jumped when the older ninja called out from down the path.

"You!"

Her head snapped in his direction, tensing as the older ninja jogged towards her. She recognized him as one of the trainers, but that didn't stop her from assessing his Chi.

He didn't  _seem_  hostile or ready to attack.

"What happened here?!" The guy came to a stop, looking between her and Kai's corpse, hardened and demanding.

Fiore was overcome with a bitterness so strong it was like coins in her mouth. She stared up at the idiot, her expression neutral, tone emotionless. "Take a guess, genius."

Irritation flared in the other ninja's features, aggression spiking his Chi for a brief second. "Don't you have somewhere to be? You're an hour late for first rotations. Get to training."

Fiore turned and strode away coldly without another word.

Before the path curved, she looked over her shoulder just in time to see the glint of the shuriken the other ninja used to sever Kai's hanging rope.

She flinched as his body hit the ground with an unnatural smack—unnatural because Kai was one of the most agile, poised beings she knew.

It seemed plain wrong for his body to move in such a way.

The male looked over at her, but she averted her eyes upwards, to the branch where Kai had hung. She finally let her gaze follow the branch to find the point where it intersected the trunk.

Fiore inhaled silently, slowly, pushing down the feelings it invoked.

He had started perching himself on that exact branch  _months_  ago.

_All this time, Kai?_

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long-ass A/N:
> 
> Hi again! In case anyone is following along, I wanted to let you know updates will remain slow until September this year.
> 
> Don't worry—I will not abandon this story, and I will definitely finish it! I'm very dedicated to these babes. This story is constantly on my mind, demanding to be written & all. I started DI in 2015, and though it's evolved, I'm still totally enamored with the ZoFi dynamic. I just lack the time for a few more months.
> 
> The rest of this A/N is way more info than most of yall want, but if anyone is still w me & into chattin' w de author, etcetera:
> 
> Because of work demands, I'm mostly writing/editing DI from my phone in little chunks of time instead of hours at my laptop. I'm hoping it doesn't affect continuity and the pace of it all, but we'll see… I'll do my best. My hesitancy to post drafts like usual is 'cause of that—drafts may be too rough and too wonky, and I'm worried about abrupt ooc shifts and all.
> 
> Which brings me to a question for yall: anyone have advice on betas, just in general? I don't know a thing about it other than maybe I could find a beta reader on FFN or AO3. It may be a solution to when I realllly wanna post 'cause it's there, but I genuinely don't have time to both reread to find problem areas that need work and rewrite. Having feedback from a beta-reader would be way nice, I'd imagine, but idk how to go about that.
> 
> Just one more chunk.
> 
> Listen yall, I just like to write about these guys, and I like to share it with you. I have a handful of really supportive readers for this story, and seeing as how you're here so early in my process of figuring out what the fuck I'm doing when posting, I wanted to keep ya in the loop and reassure you I'm here to stay. Get comfy, buttercups, if you wanna see this through til the end. Thanks for your support, and always feel free to reach out and message me. I love getting to know my readers. I enjoy chatting w yall, and I really appreciate you reading my story & helping my version of the SHC and Fi exist :)


	11. Rising Odds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Woot! I'm back with an update! Maybe there's fluff (/creepy grin, eyebrow waggle). Maybe there's plot (/sweat nervously, worse than Luffy at lying). Maybe I spent many minutes (hours) staring into the electronic void of a blank doc while the only thing my author brain did was smash Fi & Zoro's faces together and yell "NOW KISS" (writer's block yall) (┛ಠ_ಠ)┛彡┻━┻
> 
> Thanks for the kind support and reviews as always :)
> 
> Thank you to the wonderful ni21 for betaing this chapter! ni21's OP fic Shoganai featuring ZoroxRobin is an absolute delight! It's insightful, it's exciting, and the sexual tension is hot fire flames! Check it out if you're looking for some lovely in-character OP goodness.

 

* * *

 

"I can't wait to see what's on the next island! Bet there'll be… Oh, I know! Dinosaurs!"

"Dino… why in the name of the one piece do you think there'll be  _dinosaurs_?!"

" _Oooh_ or dragons!  _Shishishi_ let's get another dragon!"

"What the  _hell_ , Luffy? We're not getting a dragon!"

Zoro tuned out his captain and the sea witch, their conversation so ridiculous he didn't want to lose any more brain cells on it than necessary.

Instead he focused his attention on the ninja girl about to swing into the galley and join everyone for breakfast.

It wasn't as if Zoro  _intentionally_ kept tabs on her or anything.

As he laid awake in his bunk that morning, he extended his observation haki around the Sunny to see if thinking about it as flowing  _Chi_ or what-the-hell-ever made a difference. A little surprised it wasn't as tiring as usual, he maintained it through breakfast, trying to find his limit. Incidentally, he knew the girl was headed that way.

 _Maybe_  he was just a little concerned about her. Only a little. She was a grown ass ninja, after all, but she obviously struggled with that nightmare last night. Her haki, chakra signature,  _whatever_ , had been oddly quiet since then.

Zoro looked up as Fi pushed through the galley door, effortlessly silent as always, beautifully disheveled like every damn morning, amethyst eyes on his as usual.

Her violet hair was piled in a messy bundle on her head with that damn blue ribbon doing a bad job of holding it all together, stray, wavy strands falling out all around. She wore a big sweater that fell to her thighs, the pale gray color notable only for the way it complemented her metal and heliotrope. It did little to cover her lean body with the way it slipped off her narrow shoulders, one of which still sported a white bandage. Everything about her was sexy as hell, but the circles under her eyes were too dark.

 _She didn't sleep_.

"Good morning, my sweet, dangerous Fiore- _chwan_!"

Her unusually flat, lavender eyes flicked over his shoulder to the shit cook behind the kitchen counter. Some emotion flashed in her expression quicker than Zoro could really catch, but it wasn't hard to guess.

_Her ghosts lingered._

"Morning, Sanji."

Fi took her plate and mug from twirly-brow then slid into her seat across from Zoro as the others shouted and waved in various greetings. She responded with her typical subdued smile and quiet words, but it all just  _lacked_. Where was the smugness, the underlying superiority complex? A weight seemed to have settled on her shoulders, pulling her chin lower than normal.

He subtly watched her push food around her plate in disinterest, hardly picking at it.  _No appetite?_  Her next exhale was suspiciously like a sigh, too quiet to be heard by the others but practically ringing in his ears, causing him to set his fork down and look at her directly. Considering her annoyingly good hearing, and not wanting to draw the crew's attention, he lowered his voice.

"Oi, purple."

Her tired gaze found his over her mug as she sipped her steaming tea.

"You look like crap."

Rather than a pointy comeback like usual, she only offered a short hum of resignation.

Well,  _shit._ With a strange impulse to lighten her spirits, he said it before he could think about it. "At least that's a good color for you." He briefly dropped his gaze and tipped his head to indicate her big, dumb sweater, keeping his volume down so the others wouldn't hear and tease him until he dropped dead. "S'nice with your hair."

Her eyes widened as she sat her mug down, the surprise finally sparking  _something_. "Uh, th-thanks."

Zoro shoved half a pancake into his mouth, satisfied her tiredness was at least momentarily replaced with a rosy blush.

_Heh._

Managing to catch the girl off guard was a nice bonus, too.

 

* * *

The late afternoon brought far more heat than Zoro anticipated considering their next stop was supposed to be a winter island. He delayed his workout to wait out the temperature to no avail, and apparently undeterred by the weather, Fi beat him to the punch.

Chopper had given her the green light for more activity, and Zoro figured she'd be up here sometime today.

Pausing in the entryway of the crow's nest, he leaned against the door frame, casually crossing his arms over his chest and one ankle over the other. From his view, he could see the barbell across Fi' shoulders was loaded with a worrisome amount of plates considering her size. But he wanted to see what the girl could do with it. From their conversations, he knew she trained hard.

She took a bracing breath, smoothly descended into a low squat, paused at the bottom, then straightened her legs with obvious effort until she was upright again.

Fresh  _hell._

Goosebumps broke out across his skin as he tensed with the effort of internalizing his appreciation. He just wasn't prepared to see her in action, wasn't ready for his own reaction.

She repeated the movement again— _down, pause, up._

_Perfection!_

The ninja squatted barefoot except for plain ankle wraps, and she had small weight plates under her heels. Her spine and stance were perfect, her range was deep, and her lats stayed tight to keep her elbows behind the bar. She wore tight, black athletic shorts that showed off the hard planes of her legs and the damn nice curves of her— _goddammit, stop checking her out!_

_Squat, pause, up._

He counted the weight plates on each side of the barbell, adding in the weight of the barbell.

…

Zoro blinked a few times then added up the weight again.

This girl was squatting roughly  _four fucking times_  her body weight?  _Hell._ Of  _course_  she was.

_Squat, pause, up._

Even from his side view, he could tell her core was nothing but solid muscle, her lack of shirt revealing veritable rocks! No wonder the girl's balance was absurd. Zoro didn't dare look any higher up her chest, definitely not at the way her black sports bra squished her— _ack, stop looking, idiot!_

_Squat, pause, up._

Sweat beaded at her hairline and dripped down her neck, darkening the violet strands that stuck there. Little rivers carved their way down her tight body, cutting paths along the thick muscles lining her spine and pooling at— _oh fuck him_ —the indents of her lower back.

He swiped at the little droplet of blood that escaped from his nose and swallowed the excess spit in his mouth, a small voice in the back of his head warning him to behave better.

 _Squat, pause, up_ — _s_ truggling a bit this time before standing tall again.

"Zoro likes  _hah...hah_..." she panted, and he  _needed_  to hear how that would sound with her mouth pressed into his neck, "what Zoro sees."

Her strained voice jolted him out of his blatant ogling.

_H-huh?_

He had obviously indulged for far too long because his muddled mind didn't even hear the actual words between her hard breaths.

Zoro clamped his molars together, pushing down the impulse to pull her hair or worse.  _Not the time or place, asshole._

Fi braced again and lowered, this time hitting a sticking point.  _Squat, pause, almost up… not quite…_

She gave a grunt of effort as she pushed her muscles through to finally lock out at the top again.

He exhaled a quiet growl as she moved forward into the rack and dumped the barbell with a loud, satisfying clank. Hands on her waist, she stepped back, panting, flushed, and sweat-soaked. His hard-on somehow got harder.

 _Inappropriate_.  _Be a better man than this._ She's  _training._

At least he appreciated her technique as much as her ass, if not more. Anyway, it's not like she could read his mind, right?

When she turned and her eyes finally cut to his, he fought the urge to take a running leap off the crow's nest, swan dive off the Sunny, and swim far, far away—'cause she  _knew_.

Fi exhaled the words, all subdued enthusiasm. "You're  _bad._ "

_W-was she praising him?!_

Zoro's ears got hot as he stepped across the threshold, but he rolled his eyes and resolutely ignored the whole thing as he started his own warm-up. "That your last set?"

"Yeah." She stretched lightly nearby, still sounding far too amused but letting him change the subject. "Don't want to be too sore for whatever awaits us tomorrow."

"Aye." He agreed roughly.

They stretched together for a few, quiet minutes, him warming up and her cooling down. Neither were much for small talk, and despite his residual embarrassment and semi-chub, it was the comfortable silence they had grown accustomed to over the last week.

Straightening from his stretch and stepping up to the rack, he laughed immediately. The movable metal arms that held the barbell at an appropriate height were set to just below his chest. " _Hahahah!_  The arms,  _heheheh,_  are so low!"

The ninja shot him a mean look. "Shut it, pirate."

Chuckling to himself, he moved the loaded barbell to the ground and deftly popped the rack arms up several notches so he could stand under the weight without having to stoop down so far.

He easily deadlifted the barbell from the ground and raised it until it was at his chest before quickly rotating his elbows and wrists under the bar to press it over his head and slowly lower it across his upper back.

" _Show off_." She accused.

Maybe it felt good that her heaviest squat made a good warm-up for him.

He smirked, immediately starting a set of squats. "Only for your sake, shitty ninja."

Fi moved at her dumb ninja speed, a blur of purple in his peripheral, and re-appeared right in front of him before he could lower into a second rep.

His bare skin heated as she trailed her eyes down his body, a recognizable look of craving on her face. His body hadn't entirely come down from a few minutes ago, so his, ah,  _reaction_ to her proximity was immediate and embarrassingly obvious.

" _Fiore._ " He cautioned.

She reached up to run her finger over his bare skin, following the raised, diagonal path of his scar, drawing a line from his left shoulder, across his chest, down to his abdomen. Her simple, silky touch flushed him with want again.

"Well, if the whole swordsman thing falls through, at least all this training makes you look halfway decent."

"Don't make me re-rack this damn bar." He warned, tone entirely too rough. "You won't like it."

Her finger lingered at the tip of his scar above his right hip as she gazed up at him, fire and challenge evident. "I'd very much like you to re-rack that damn bar."

"No, I promise you won't."  _Because he damn well knew how to deal with this unruly minx's attempt at incitement._

" _Hmm._ " She practically fucking  _purred_  as she glanced down to his obvious arousal between them. She took a step closer as her finger slowly stroked down the groove of his hip to the top of his athletic shorts, hooking her finger in the fabric. "I think I would."

Zoro took an aggressive step forward into Fi, dropping the barbell into the metal rack arms with a sharp  _clang_  and at the same time making the ninja take a step backwards to avoid being knocked to the ground by him.

With a firm hand against her rocky waist, he walked her backwards a few more steps until her back smacked into the wall between two big windows. He held her in place with a strong grip.

"What have I said about making me repeat myself?"

"It's not that I don't  _recall_  your threats…" Fi smiled like a woman who  _knew_  she always got what she wanted. "You just have yet to convince me I should worry."

 _Such a cheeky little devil!_ Zoro narrowed his eye and leaned down until they were nearly nose to double-pierced nose, so close he could almost fucking  _taste_  her.

One of her hands covered his on her waist and the other traced the grooves of his forearms, sending waves of heat through him. He watched carefully as she inhaled deeply through her nose, dilated gem-eyes roving his jaw, lips, and neck.  _That's it, Fi_ ,  _burn this into your senses_.

His head fell to the right, eye half-lidded with his own desire as he peered down at her. "You honestly think you can use clever words to get what you want?"

"That's the general idea, yeah."

 _Arrogant as always._ But her heart hammered against her ribs, letting him feel through his hand how her pulse raced for him. Blood pooled beneath her cheeks and crept down her neck to her chest, pinkening the top of her sweat-slicked cleavage, letting him see her needs.  _Good girl_ —at least her body was more compliant than her mouth _._

"You really should worry more, little ninja."

Her tongue swept across her bottom lip, wetting it enticingly, and his breath caught in his throat as he watched her mouth, dying to taste her. Fi's seductive voice might as well have been her hand with the way it made his dick throb.

"I really don't see why, big pirate."

She leaned in to close the distance between them, but he inched back just a fraction to avoid her kiss. Her breathy, barely audible " _mh"_  of protest was maddeningly sexy.

" _Tsk._ " He quietly clicked his tongue in disapproval but stayed close, his own lips parted with real anticipation, breath coming a little quick.  _Fuck, he wanted her_. "Always moving so  _fast_."

Zoro straightened as he dropped his hand from her waist and stepped back a few paces, putting space between them. He fucking needed it.

"Worry a little, 'cause denying you is half the fun."

She didn't move a muscle, expression still lustful, but there was a bite to her tone he now knew well. "Come a little bit closer,  _Zo~ro_."

He definitely couldn't do that. Being so close to her while this gloriously, painfully turned on made denying her exceptionally difficult, even with his masterful self-control. And he damn well knew when she was envisioning his murder.

" _No_  thanks,  _Fi~o~re_."

Her jaw clenched as she stood up straight and decided his fate. Blood still heated swaths of her skin, but her threat was real. "Remember what  _I_ said. No mercy."

He wantonly smirked at her, not sure if he'd live through the next five seconds. "Keep your kunai sharp if it makes you feel better."

_A worthy way for a swordsman to die._

" _Ugh!_ " She stepped forward and roughly shoved at his chest, her sharp, pointy nails biting into his skin as she pushed him out of her way and stalked towards the exit. "Go swallow some seawater and die already."

He watched her strut away, a shiver of desire escaping his control now that she wasn't watching him. " _Told ya_."

 _Heh_ —Zoro  _felt_  her irritated eye-roll as she disappeared outside.

Adjusting his boner so he wasn't pitching a tent anymore, he realized he enjoyed her and the burn she brought on  _far_  too much.

_Che. Worth it._

He refused to let her have her way so easily.

 

* * *

Fi sweat like a damn pig in the sticky air as she stretched on the roof of the crow's nest.

Her muscles were vividly aware of the fact that it'd been weeks since she had properly trained. She was healing, so she  _finally_  got in a good workout without anyone snitching. Good timing, too, because she needed a damn distraction from her thoughts.

She'd wind up in an ugly tailspin if she didn't get ahold of herself or find something else to focus on—one nightmare could lead to more, which would make for a few bad days and an embarrassing breakdown.  _No thanks._  The problem was, with the way she had left herself so damn  _unchecked_  recently, she was having a harder time stemming her emotions and reactions.

 _But at least she could exercise again._  At least she finally dumped some energy and reassured herself she hadn't become weak.

And it was definitely fun to see the marimo's face after her last set.

_That man…_

The thought of him snapped her to the present again, where the shithead was still moving around obscenely heavy weights in the room beneath her.

_No good, irredeemable, algae-brained pirate._

She ground her molars together for the thousandth time in the last twenty minutes, fighting the urge to punch his horrible, green head until it caved in.

Instead, she bent a knee and propped her foot on her opposite thigh, unwrapping her ankle and knee bindings.

At least Fi wasn't alone—his wicked Chi burned for her, all orange flames and ardor.  _Hungry gaze… Dominating touch…_ Her lips turned up, somewhere between a smile and a snarl.

She would make that damn man bleed.

Fi remained seated on her ass, watching the clouds in the sky for a while, trying to cool off in more ways than one.

 

* * *

Luffy could be heard beginning his mealtime routine of begging for food. Dinner wasn't so far away, and teasing the good-natured captain with Sanji seemed like a better way to pass the time than pining over the shitty marimo or plotting his death.

Fi dropped noiselessly to the lawn deck, making her way to the galley, immediately joining Sanji in corralling rubber-boy.

With the delicious scent of food strong in the air, it didn't take long for the others to filter into the galley, too.

Each Straw Hat simply went about their business as a Fi-clone restrained their captain in a Judo-like scarf hold across the kitchen counter, generally preventing him from making much noise aside from whines. The original Fi stood next to them, calmly pinching and stretching Luffy's cheeks. His rubbery arms and legs looped around the both the clone and original ninja in complicated looking knots, resulting in a sort-of stalemate.

The last crew member sauntered in, all shirtless and smelling of barbell metal and salt, at the same time Sanji started plating food and setting it around the table.

"Alright, my deadly swan, you can let him go now." He looked over his shoulder to give her that heart-eyed smile she liked. "Thank you, dear."

"My pleasure."she said as Clone Fi  _poofed_  out of existence.

" _That's sooo unfaiiiiirrr_ " Luffy complained, immediately too loud as breath returned to his lungs. "Clones aren't—"

Fi immediately clamped her hand over Luffy's mouth, muffling him. "Keep it down, or I'll give you a tour of the seafloor."

Luffy pushed his lips to the side, muttering. "M'not afraid of you."

" _Oh-hoho._  You are the  _worst_  liar, kid. Now, hold still."

The captain made a few more noises of disagreement but otherwise obeyed, at least until he realized there were full plates of food at the table.

His eyes glazing over as he started to drool and wiggle around. " _Hurrrrrrry_ , I'm  _hungryyy_!"

Fi tugged at his rubbery limbs, trying to comprehend how in the hell he managed to get so knotted.

" _CHOPPER!_ " Luffy screamed suddenly, flailing and tightening the knots again. "I SAW THAT!  _DON'T TOUCH MY FOOD!"_

Fi pulled away from Luffy and covered her ears as he shouted at the others, ornery giggles from the table working him up even more.

"Luffy, hold still, or I won't help untangle you." His wriggling constricted her middle and sent a wave of alarm through her. " _I'm warning you, kid!_ "

The Straw Hat captain ignored her and continued shouting.

_Luffy would have to just unknot his damn self._

She raised her hands and formed the first hand-sign for a substitution, planning to trade places with a cushion on a nearby stool, but a laughing, deep voice behind her stopped her from finishing the jutsu.

" _Hahaha..._ " Suddenly, Zoro's hands were on her waist, tentatively tugging at Luffy's arms. "Do you know how ridiculous you two look?"

"Fuck off." She muttered half-heartedly, letting Zoro help for no real reason other than being thoroughly preoccupied with the feel of his hardened hands on her body again.

"USO—"

Both her hands went to cutting off Luffy's air supply, strangling him and shutting him the hell up.

The moss head's callused fingers scratched against her bared sides as he worked his hands between her skin and the rubbery arms of his captain.

"On three. Ready?"

" _What?_ "

"Three."

Zoro's hands abruptly pulled away from her waist, loosening Luffy's grip with sheer force and giving her  _just_  enough room to escape. Fi raised her arms above her head and dropped low, slipping out of the captain's grip and stepping aside.

Luffy's arms fell into a noodle-like pile briefly, but it didn't take him long to untangle himself, highly motivated by the doctor and sniper who still stole his food.

Fi moved to the table, side-eying Zoro. "At least those muscles are good for  _something._ "

" _Heh_." He smirked as he, too, took his seat. "Happy to please."

He was still totally smug and  _stab-able_ , but Fi didn't have any kunai on her. "Would  _you_ like to see the seafloor, too?"

Zoro snorted, but Nami interrupted with a wry grin. " _Awww,_  trouble in paradise?"

The young ones were distracted, but unfortunately, the other adults were all ears.

" _Suuuper_  no bueno!" The cyborg cried, genuine tears already in his eyes. "Say it ain't so!"

"No bueno indeed!" Brook agreed. "I'll write a love song to help you kids make-up and rekindle your romance.  _Puu~uuple n' gre~eeen!_ "

Fi's eye twitched and her fingers ghosted the spot on her right thigh where her tool pouch typically sat.

" _Fufufu_." Robin chuckled, "Oh my, Zoro, still picking fights with miss ninja? Shall I write you a guide on courtship and relationship etiquette?"

" _Shuddup,_  ya damn know-it-all."

Robin gave Zoro a squinty smile as she delicately rested her chin in her palm, a disembodied arm sprouting from Zoro's shoulder to pat him on the head like a small child, earning her an impressive scowl and threats of getting cut.

"Kill him already, would you dear?" Sanji chimed in calmly as if discussing the weather. "We've suffered his ugly mug long enough already."

"You're one to talk, twirly faced shit-cook!"

"Do any of you know…" Fi levelled a composed but chilly look around the table, thoroughly displeased to be the topic of conversation for these gossips. "...What a ' _bingo-book_ ' is?"

Naturally, Robin answered. "I believe it's a ninja's personal hit-list, correct, Fi?"

Fi returned her calm smile, letting her cold silence answer for her. The pause stretched out uncomfortably as she let their imaginations do the work. Someone wisely changed the topic to the hot weather.

After that, dinner was the usual affair... for the most part.

The tone changed for Fi after the feast, when Nami called everyone to attention while they were all still in the same room.

"Alright, everyone. Listen up! Eyes on me." She paused, waiting for everyone to pay attention. " _Hello_. Earth to Straw Hat!"

Luffy did not look up until Sanji kicked him under the table with an obvious  _thump_.

" _OOUCH_! What the hell, Sanji?"

"Listen when the lovely Nami-swan speaks, you overgrown capuchin."

"Oh. What's up, Nami?" Luffy's eyes settled on his navigator, and everyone turned their attention back to her.

" _Weeelllll_... " She inhaled slowly, then smiled, obviously happy to give the news. "We'll make land tomorrow afternoon!"

Nami's simple statement caused excited cheering and hooting from the crew, but a jolt of ice shot through Fi.

She knew they'd make land any day now, so it wasn't a surprise—it's not as if Fi  _wasn't_  keeping track. Yet, hearing Nami say it, a cold, achingly familiar dread still seeped into every corner of her body.

"For the love of beli, HUSH!  _Shhhhh!"_ Nami quieted the others then spoke again. "This will be our last stop before four weeks in open ocean. You know the drill. We can't mess around with supplies,  _captain_ , and everyone needs to be more than certain to have the necessities. First and foremost, Chopper and Sanji, what do we need?"

The others answered at length, but Fi hardly listened as reality caught up with her.

_Should she part ways with the Straw Hats now?_

A thick nervousness bubbled up in her chest and her heart beat faster, pounding against her temples.

_What if she never saw these faces again?_

_Had word of her activity reached the clan elders yet?_

It was only a matter of time, considering Zoro's stunt of 'outing' her on the last island _._ Even if it wasn't by direct order of an elder, there were undoubtedly ninja awaiting her on this island since their route was predictable, according to Nami. The question was  _who_  and  _how many_.

_What if it turned into a big showdown?_

A pain blossomed behind her forehead, a dull throbbing she recognized.  _Shit._

When the time came, she planned to simply lead all ninja away from the Sunny and crew by using herself as bait. The elders wanted her dead no matter what and wouldn't concern themselves with mere pirates—the Straw Hats should hardly be a blip on their radar.

Nami hollered at Sanji for something, her high pitched voice aggravating the pain in Fi's head as much as her worry about tomorrow.

But if the crew knew she was fighting, there's no way they'd sit by idly even if she begged them to do so. If there was a showdown, her plan to cleanly cut the crew out wouldn't work. It would draw dangerous attention to them.

 _They can't get involved in any ninja fights no matter what_.

Even if they didn't get involved…  _What if ninja targeted them after she left?_

Her thoughts raced trying to imagine this crew defending the Sunny against ninja, who were the damn antithesis of pirates. The Straw Hats were strong, no doubt, but Robin's words came back to her—' _we don't fight with lethal intent.'_  Ruthless ninja only fought to kill _._

She felt cold and clammy as she looked down the table to an inattentive Luffy, whose eyes were glazed over with boredom as Nami explained to him her calculations for making land tomorrow.

Luffy didn't do well against trickery and stealth. She knew firsthand with all the goofing off they did this week. Fi  _always_  caught him off-guard and  _always_  landed her rib-poking finger jabs. Her sick mind turned those playful moments into bloody ones, kunai jutting out of his sides instead.

Fi blinked against the morbid image, her eyes finding the table-top in front of her, flexing her tingling hands.

She warned Luffy they were taking a big risk letting her sail with them, and he dismissed it entirely. Then, this past week at sea had totally lulled her into complacency.

 _How sloppy_.  _How_   _stupid. So fucking stupid_.

The throbbing pain in her skull kicked into high gear, the loud bickering and beli haggling between Franky, Nami, and Brook bouncing through her skull painfully.

How could she justify this kind of carelessness with their lives? They were too good to get caught up in bloody ninja sociopolitics.

A cold sweat pricked at Fi's back as she tried to slow her breathing.

She should have told Zoro about the threat she brought with her, but Fi was selfish—she let him bring her back to the Sunny despite knowing it might put the Straw Hats in harm's reach.

_Fuck, how could Zoro ever forgive her if something happened to one of them?_

It seemed like a joke now, thinking about getting to know him better, getting to see Luffy and the others fulfill— _No_.

No use in thinking like that. She  _knew_  that kind of future wasn't possible, given her mission.

Fi only vaguely followed the others' conversation, so when Sanji suddenly stood and kicked Luffy as he interrupted Nami yet again, she wasn't prepared to deal with the additional spike in stress.

She easily suppressed a start, only her eyelids fluttering, but the resulting  _smack_ noise was far too similar to…

Her ears rang with the sound, the image assaulting her again and again and  _again_.

 _Smack_.

Kai's body hit the ground.

 _Smack_.

Kai's body hit the ground.

 _Smack_.

Kai's body hit the ground.

 _Smack_.

Kai's body hit—

" _Hey_."

Fi's eyes popped open again and landed on a frowning swordsman.  _Shit_. Sloppy again. She was definitely losing her edge.

" _What?_ "

"M'goin' up top." Zoro watched her far too carefully. "Come on—join me."

_Damn eagle eye._

" _Why?_ "

"I gotta talk to you. Where it's  _quiet_."

 _Oh_. Fi's eyes traced the scar over his closed eyelid, feeling her cheeks heat a little.  _Quiet_. Good idea.

She nodded, but Franky's mocking voice cut in before either moved.

"You lovebirds going to kiss'n'make up?" Franky grinned, conspiratorial. "That's suuuuper nice!  _Kakakaa_ , you two can't stay mad at each other for long, can ya!?  _Oooh_  budding romance, sweet  _swe~eet_  love!"

She frowned at the cyborg, concealing her stress easily considering her decades of experience. "I wouldn't go  _that_  far."

"Fi, give the guy a break,  _oww_!" Franky repeatedly slapped Zoro on the back. "He doesn't know what he's doing!"

"Thanks a lot, bastard." Zoro griped, shoving Franky's slapping hand away.

The chaos wore on in a different direction, Franky's attention diverted by a shipwright question from Usopp who was in charge of some material-collecting errand tomorrow.

Zoro caught Fi's eye as he stood, motioning for her to follow with a quick tip of his head as he turned towards the door.

Fi stiffly stood and quickly followed, silently slipping out of the galley behind him before she changed her mind or before anyone else teased her.

The open ocean air immediately made a difference as they trekked out to the lawn deck together. She felt the headache receding bit by bit as they ascended the stairs.

Zoro simply sat down under a tangerine tree, leaning back casually. Fi sat next to him, and for some reason, a good deal of tension left her frame in that moment. She flopped onto her back with a relieved exhale. Maybe she forgot she was supposed to be mad at him for his earlier teasing.

As usual, the man's quiet fortitude helped her remain  _here_ , with all her horrible thoughts and good ones, connected to the present moment instead of reliving past traumas over and over again.

And it's not as if she  _couldn't_ manage tomorrow. She would figure it out as always.

She watched the sky change colors with the impending sunset, enjoying the relative peace from herself and the noise. Zoro also had his open eye on the bright pinks and oranges of the horizon, sea breeze causing his earrings to  _tink_  together quietly and the Sunny's jolly roger to flap reassuringly overhead.

After a while, the rest of the crew filtered out to the lawn deck, their boisterous voices tolerable since they were down below and no longer confined within walls.  _Eesh_.

Fi rolled her head toward Zoro and opened her mouth to speak but stopped short.

_D-damn._

The man was  _handsome_ —so damn handsome it almost  _hurt_.

The low, golden sun deepened the bronze tones of his skin and the angles of his masculine features. His square jawline and naturally stony expression toughened him in a dangerously enticing way. All the visible muscle given his lack shirt  _greatly_  enhanced the effect.

Despite her overt gaze, his remained on the sunset, pensive and severe. He wasn't angry or scowling, but she sensed the lightness of the past week was fading. The line between his perpetually furrowed brows was noticeably deeper.

_Something troubled him._

Fi sat up and didn't think much about it as she brushed his three earrings with a finger, the light touch making them jingle about briefly.

_What's the matter, Zoro?_

He turned his head to peer at her with his one open eye.

She had figured it was an excuse to get her outside, but…

"You actually wanted to talk to me, didn't you?"

He watched her for a full minute before answering.

"I'm where I want to be." He murmured. "Can you say the same?"

She considered his words for a few beats. "Yeah."

His jaw tightened, all certainty and backbone. "Then you should keep sailin' with us."

For all her discipline, she couldn't fight the squeeze in her chest, hope and anxiousness all at once.  _How could a legend like him give a damn about someone like her?_

She reached forward and gently tapped his adams apple, using her own chakra to stir the pool of energy directly under her fingertip, exploring and enjoying the feel of the man's powerful throat chakra,  _er,_ haki,  _whatever_ — _same thing_.

"I  _want_ to stay on the Sunny. I'm very fond of having a room by the aquarium. Drowns out all the snoring, too."

Zoro reached up to catch her hand in his, pressing her palm against the base of his neck and holding it there firmly. His big hand was so damn warm and rough with calluses, his insistent touch not altogether different from when they were in the crow's nest earlier.

"Then stay, Fi."

"There's a lot I have to do before I can make that decision."

Her careful words sparked something in him. The throat chakra she had stirred abruptly flared, impressing upon his invisible Chi a brilliant blue. She was caught, trapped by his will to be understood, forced to hear the truth in his expression as his unseen haki challenged hers.

_W-what is..._

"I don't know what you're walking towards, and I don't particularly care. But I want to help. We all do."

Staring into his earnest, ocean-dark eye… hand pressed between his sternum and palm… his metal scent saturating her sense of smell and taste… His commanding Chi threatened to fucking  _engulf_  her through these points of connection, demanding to be heard and unexpectedly rendering her vulnerable to the persuasive influence of his unseen but powerful throat chakra.

_This is…_

Fi reflexively released her dominate chakra point, a shimmering emerald enveloping the hand still pressed against the base of his neck. She expertly but gently used her chakra to stem the power flowing freely from the point in his throat. Admittedly, it was a little reckless to play with his haki like that, but she didn't expect the damn man try and  _use_ it _,_ even if accidentally.

_He is so much more than meets the eye._

"Zoro." She said his name confidently despite that it was a whisper.

His throat chakra finally simmered, and he snapped out of his unconscious show of willpower, shaking his head to himself. She pulled her hand away from his sternum, and he released her, both drawing back from the tension of the moment.

"Whatever you decide, I just…wanted you to know that."

"I get it." But he didn't know what he was getting himself into. Because she hadn't told him. "Thanks for offering."

"I don't want thanks." He grumbled.

Her lips tipped into a brief half smile. "You want a kiss instead?"

He frowned. "I'm being serious here."

"I know, and I'll think on it." She unconsciously tilted her head. "Really, Zoro. Thank you. For everything."

"S' _fine_ , Fi. Stop thankin' me." Zoro reached out and tugged on the end of the pony tail that fell over her shoulder from where it sat high on her head. "And stop makin' me say this kinda shit out loud."

"How embarrassing for you." She teased, liking the intimate way he played with her hair, idly rolling it between his fingertips as he watched her.

" _Heh._  You're as difficult as ever." A calm smile overtook his features as her blush spread. "But I like it."

All at once, he angled towards her and tugged downward on her hair, causing her ear to dip towards her shoulder as he leaned in and kissed— _kissed!_ —her upturned cheek, all purposeful and unhurried.

He released her hair and pulled back just a bit, eyeing her wide eyes with satisfaction.

Totally nonchalant, he pushed to his feet and stretched, popping too many joints and yawning. "Time to finish training."

_Wha…?_

She watched him strut away, still frozen with the shock of his casual affection when he shot her a cocky smirk over his shoulder before he disappeared down the stairs.

Fi finally unfroze and raised her voice just enough to carry down to the retreating bastard. " _I hate you!_ "

She  _felt_ him gloating from out of sight.

Fi touched the hot spot on her cheek where his lips had pressed into her skin.

Oh…

Oh,  _no._

What was that idiot  _doing?!_

She flopped onto her back again, covering her face with both hands, lazily hiding the smile on her lips.

_What a fucking day!_

Fi ended up staying on the garden deck all night, not bothering to move.

The weather remained warm after the sun fell, so she watched the constellations pass through the clear sky. Her body needed time to come down from the impulse to straddle and  _mercilessly beat_ a green-haired swordsman or something much dumber, while her mind needed to work through her plans for tomorrow.

The Thousand Sunny was finally nearing the end of its one-week tour at sea, and Fi fully admitted it to herself: she really didn't want to leave the Straw Hats.

 

* * *

Zoro suppressed a sigh as he flipped from his belly to his back for the hundredth time that hour.

What the hell was his  _damage_ tonight? Even after training harder than he intended, purging the embarrassingly giddy excitement sparked by his lips on Fi's cheek— _just her cheek, for shit's sake!_ —his thoughts remained noisy as hell.

It wasn't like him at  _all_ , and it was wearing him thin. He couldn't calm his mind, and he definitely didn't know what to do, if anything, about all the ninja-related  _ish_  bangin' against his damn skull.

He didn't  _fawn_  in any sense of the word, but he knew what he wanted. No shame, not for a grown man like him. He didn't shy from the intimacy of sex, and loving a woman wasn't something he feared.

...Not even if she was a half-unhinged, entirely murderous, horny ninja with no goddamn brakes to save her life.  _Heh._

That wasn't the problem  _per se_. But after seeing stress return to her features, even if briefly, Zoro found himself with the same shitty instinct he felt towards—

 _Zoro, you ass._ He admonished.  _Kuina_   _would full ass resent that sentiment_.

But it wasn't a gendered thing! He wanted to protect them  _all_ , even if they didn't need it. The girls  _especially_  didn't need it—they were fuckin' terrifying on a  _good_  day.  _He_ was the one who needed protection on their bad days!

Fi could damn well take care of herself, no question.  _Just like the others._

But the crew generally stayed  _on the Sunny_. Where he could pull the rubber dumbass out of the water, or give the sea witch someone to blame, or tape the smallest idiot's antler back together, or help the shithead escape a mood, or let miss smarty pants—

_Shit. Wasn't that just it?_

Zoro had…  _hang-ups_  about being apart from the crew.

It wasn't something he  _wanted_ to feel! But after… After  _all_  that shit with twirly-brow, after fighting with Kaido and Big Mom… The mess with Jinbe… He'd be dead ass  _lyin'_  if he pretended it didn't make him feel some kinda way to be separated from them again. With any one of their longer absences, he fuckin'  _worried_  these days. Yet he dealt, 'cause that was life.

But now?

_Fuck._

Now, this goddamn girl, who he…

He really…

_Honestly…_

Fuckin'...  _shit._

Double fuckin' shit.

Resisting to urge toss and turn again, he pulled his pillow over his face to muffle the snores echoing around the men's quarters. Not that it'd help him get any peace.

 _Triple it_ — _triple all the fuckin' shits._

 

* * *

Fi woke on the garden deck with a crick in her neck, still warm despite the chill to the air due to the big, men's coat draped over her like a blanket.

She followed her ears and nose to the galley, finding breakfast chaos fully underway.

Zoro sported an extra hilarious case of bedhead, which put a small smile on her face right away. She greeted the others with her usual finger wave when Luffy cheered at her something indiscernible considering the food stuffed in his cheeks.

Instead of sitting, she made her way straight past the table and toward the kitchen, stopping before the man she sought, hugging the oversized jacket to herself. "Thank you."

"Of course, my lovely swan." Sanji had tenderness in his eyes as he handed her a plate and mug. "Only a beautiful flower like you could make that jacket look cheap."

Backtracking towards the table, Fi instinctively blocked Luffy's outstretched, grabbing hands and then flicked Zoro's ear as she passed him on her way to her seat.

"Ouch!  _Why?!_ "

"Morning, seaweed."

She took her place at the table and bumped her shoulder into Nami's when the navigator leaned into her in silent greeting from behind her newspaper.

It took her a minute to figure it out  _why_  the marimo kept glaring her way all extra grouchy, then she caught him eyeing Sanji's jacket like he wanted to cut it up and set it on fire.

 _Oh-hoho_. Jealous fool.

But then, something else…

It took her until the end of breakfast to detect it, and maybe she was looking too closely, but Zoro was more than just extra grumpy that morning. Something was a little off with the man, his Chi a degree dimmer than usual.

She wanted to pester him to draw out the reason, but he joined Sanji at the sink to do the dishes before she got the chance. After, there were no openings to ask without drawing too much attention.

She let it go, chalking it up to the anticipation of making landfall. Everyone was keyed up about it in one form or another, including her.

Especially her.

 

* * *

"Hey, curly."

"What do you want, moss? I'm busy."

Despite his words, Sanji sat on the barstool at his kitchen counter, crossing his ankles and fishing his lighter from his pocket. He expected this after listening to the bastard toss and turn restlessly all night instead of snoring like some gorilla-pig hybrid. And when the marimo sat back down at the table after drying dishes and the others had cleared out, it was confirmed. Something was bothering the green turd.

"Gimmie that good bottle of rum you've been savin'." Zoro demanded.

He lit the cigarette stuck to his lips. "What happened?"

Zoro hesitated then shrugged. "Dunno."

Sanji exhaled at length before asking. "Well, what did you say to her?"

He watched the unkept grouch tense with his typical prickly defensiveness. "Why d'you—"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, shithead."

" _Tch._ " Zoro crossed his arms, eye resolutely fixed on the table. "That it didn't matter what she was doin'. That we wanted to help."

"Well, you didn't expect her to spill her guts or agree with help anyway." Sanji eyed the mopey fool. "So what's up your ass about it?"

A full two minutes passed in silence, Sanji's cigarette finishing by the time the marimo answered.

"I…" He ran a clumsy hand through his green hair, tugging it in disarming anxiousness. " _I want her to stay._ "

Combing his blond hair back with his fingers before shaking it into his eyes again, Sanji stood and swept behind the kitchen counter. He punched in the liquor cabinet's security code, pulled it open, and removed the bottle of rum Zoro wanted. Tossing it to the idiot, he warned him sternly. "Do  _not_  get wasted today."

"Probably can't." He muttered with a frown as he caught the bottle, abruptly standing and heading towards the door.

"Well, don't try." He warned sharply. "And don't you  _dare_  let Nami and the others see that."

" _Yeah, yeah._ "

Zoro pushed through the galley door and was gone, stomping in the direction of the men's quarters.

Sanji cursed quietly.

" _Shit._ "

He probably shouldn't have given him the whole bottle. It's not like the angry green bastard knew how to pace himself. But trying to deny him right now seemed like it'd hurt Zoro more than a hopefully short mid-morning bender. He actually felt sorry for the fool.

Sanji didn't want the poor bastard to know what it felt like.

To watch  _that_  person leave.

He stood there a while, leaning his weight into his hands on the polished counter-top, thinking.

 

* * *

After breakfast, Fi eventually joined Nami and Robin in the observation deck, passing the time with the archaeologist's account of the Straw Hat siege of Enies Lobby while Nami counted out beli and Robin wrote shopping lists.

Fi recalled general details about Enies Lobby from the newspaper back then, but she never really concerned herself with pirate news beyond what made the front page. And of course, Robin's version of the story was far different from that in the newspaper. All her logs were—she had only learned the real truth about who saved Alabasta kingdom when she read the log this past week.

The description of Zoro's fight at Enies Lobby was curious indeed. Robin quoted Zoro exactly, who said he felt ' _harmony in a hurricane._ '

Fi recognized his capacity considering that scarred eye of his and all those dormant power points, not to mention his unconscious chakra display yesterday, but she hadn't expected him to have gone that far, even accidentally. To have a nature similar to  _that_  kind of divine shade...

The others' fights were enlightening, too.

This crew was no stranger to being the underdog.

 

* * *

It wasn't long before the temperature plummeted and snow started to fall, the sea featuring chunks of ice.

In preparation for landfall, Fi stopped by her room to ready her supplies. She didn't bother with heavy clothes yet, but she at least put on tight black pants instead of shorts to go with her preferred black tunic. The sleeveless, hooded shirt was one of her own pieces. She'd gotten so used to wearing clothes provided by Nami that it felt good to be in something familiar for the day's equally familiar activities. If the circumstances were different, today may have inspired some excitement—she hadn't let loose, at least in some ways, in weeks.

Making the appropriate hand-signs, she sealed some winter clothes into a small scroll so she could stow it in her pouch for later. She carefully packed away her weapons and wrapped the straps around her waist this time in lieu of her thigh, considering her plan.

Finally, she pulled her hair into a loose braid that hung down her back, needing the mess to stay out of her face for a while.

Outside, Nami's voice sounded over the speaker as she called for everyone to meet on the lawn deck in fifteen minutes.

On her way to see Chopper, Sanji stopped her in the hallway.

"Just the lovely lady who I wanted to see!" He greeted her with his usual heart-eyed smile, but his voice was oddly strained. It took her but a second to sharpen her awareness and sense the underlying dark colors of angst buried in his Chi.

 _He's upset_?

"What's wrong?"

Sanji assured her. "Nothing, nothing! But, well, will you be returning to the Sunny today, or are you saying goodbye this afternoon?"

Her brows furrowed but let him direct the conversation, not wanting to pry if he wasn't open to talking about it. "As long as nothing crazy or catastrophic happens, I'll sail on with you. Are you sure everything—"

"Wonderful!" He interrupted and continued smiling, all squinty, but Fi saw his disquiet. "Can you do me one small favor and forget I ever asked it?

" _Ah,_  probably?"

"Warn the idiot mosshead before you take off for good."

 _Huh._ That's not at all what she expected. "Sure. Are  _you_  okay, Sanji?"

He waved her off, moving away too quickly. "Yes, yes. Of course! Just a lot to do for today! Lots to plan for and worry about, but nothing with which to concern your pretty head. Thank you, my lovey!"

The blond darted off, leaving her kind of confused.

Finally making it to the infirmary, Fi found Chopper with his head in a cabinet.

"Hi Fi!  _Woaah!_ " He turned and grinned from where he stood on his rolly stool, wobbling precariously until she stuck her foot out to stop the stool from sliding around.

"Can I help?"

"Nope, I'm done!" He shot her a grateful smile, eye-level with her from where he stood on his stool. He suddenly looked worried. "You actually showed for your check-up. Is something wrong? Do you feel okay?"

Fi pursed her lips. "No, I'm fine. I just want to know if it's still progressing."

"Let's find out." He reached for her arm, shifting her shirt just enough to pull back the white bandage over her stitches.

After a cursory exam, he hopped off his stool and delivered his verdict. "You still need to be careful, but you're coming along great! A little more activity— _no heavy weights_ —and maybe short swims as long as you wash up thoroughly and put some antibiotic cream on it."

" _Great_." She grinned at him, pulling her clothes back into place. "Thanks, doc."

"See what happens if you follow my instruct—OUCH!" Chopper protested as she poked his side, adding a little chakra to jolt him awake. " _Don't do that!_ "

Fi danced away as he attempted to poke her back. The kid was admittedly getting faster compared to even a week ago. "Just dodge, porkchop."

" _Don't call me that, you jerk!_ "

She nettled him as he continued trying to jab her sides with his hooves the entire time they made their way to the lawn deck together.

Once outside, the kid was quickly distracted by Luffy and the accumulating white fluff, stoked to see snow after so long.

Fi leaned against the port rail, arms crossed over her chest with the chill in the air but still enjoying the crisp weather. The others filtered outside slowly, still coming and going, dressed in sweaters and hats, all chattering excitedly about the precipitation. She watched the crew play in the snow, waiting for everyone to show up for Nami's mission— _err, excursion?_ —briefing.

Sanji exited the men's quarters, dragging by the ankle a bristling, bitching marimo who looked like he'd been preoccupied by a nap in his bunk.

"Hiya." The blond half-growled as he deposited the moss head in a heap at Fi's feet, straightening his tie and trying to smile. "I'll  _swear_  on the All Blue I'll kill him if I have to deal with him for even a  _single_   _second_  more. He's your problem now."

Fi watched the sleepy marimo shift into a slouched nap position against the side of the ship next to her left leg and pass out within seconds.

"How can he sleep like that?!" Sanji muttered as he stalked towards the other end of the deck.

She tilted her head as she watched the cook leave, glad his Chi was recovering but curious why he presumed Zoro her problem.

Fi looked down again.

Zoro was back in his dark green robe and black pants with that haramaki and a red sash to hold his three swords. He covered it all with a long, tan fur coat, the high collar half tucked the wrong way and his bare chest still exposed.

A snot bubble contracted and expanded as he snored quietly.

She snorted.  _Damn vagabond_. It shouldn't have been so cute.

Without disturbing him, she briefly toed the bottle of booze poorly concealed in one of the large, inner pockets of his coat.  _Already empty?_ It was unopened when he had snuck out of the galley with it after breakfast…

Fi abruptly tilted her head to the right and simultaneously stuck her left foot in front of Zoro just as one icy, wet ball of white whizzed by her head and another smacked right into the instep of her black boot in lieu of the swordsman's face.

She glared meaningfully at Usopp, who hid behind Chopper, who hid behind Luffy. She didn't bother to uncross her arms or otherwise move except to set her foot down again.

Luffy shrugged with a goofy, unconvincing smile of innocence while the other two snickered but cowered.

The boys playfully mimicked her death glare from a safe distance, but no snowball came within a ten foot radius as they continued to play.

Robin appeared on deck a few minutes later. After a quick assessment of the ongoing snowball fight, she settled against the railing to Fi's right with a kind smile. "This looks like a safe spot."

"Sure is." Fi reassured.

Finally, the whole crew was present, and Nami appeared on the aquarium bar balcony, literally rising above the noisy crew in order to be heard. "Alright, alright! Listen!  _Luffy, Chopper!_ Dammit, boys,  _listen up!_ Zoro, wake up!  _Usopp, stop it!_ "

The redhead massaged her temples while Franky attempted to kick the young ones to attention. Fi toed Zoro's ribs with the front edge of her boot.

" _Oi,_  woman.  _Zzz._ " He complained between snores, shoving her foot away half-heartedly without opening his eye. "I'm  _up_ , I'm up.  _Zzzz_ "

Since Franky was still trying to wrangle the kids, having been dragged into the snowball fight he was supposed to break up, Fi kept bothering Zoro who was clearly  _not_ awake.

She prodded his ribs again, this time with a small amount of chakra. Nothing painful. "Rise and shine,  _ma~ri~mo._ "

"You little..." Zoro crabbed without really moving except to catch her foot and hold it still. He leaned into her leg, falling asleep on it near-instantly. " _Mhh,_  warm.  _Zzz_... "

Next to her, Robin crossed her arms in front of her chest.

One huge, disembodied hand sprouted from the Sunny and pinched the back of the swordsman's jacket, plucking him clean off the deck, letting him dangle in the air like a bad little puppy for a moment.

"How dare—" Zoro griped as the hand disappeared and his heavy boots thumped down on the deck. "

"Good morning, Zoro." Robin greeted with a grin.

"... Hate you all, I swear…"

Zoro sulked quietly as Nami got everyone's attention again, the others having effectively subdued the younger crew plus Franky.

Nami announced they would see the island within the hour and needed to shove off again before dinner to avoid trouble. Due to the island's proximity to two Marine bases, the navigator expected it to be a hotbed of law and outlaw, so they needed to be hasty.

Nami started on assignments for the crew, everyone playing some kind of role in gathering supplies, but Fi only half listened due to the distraction of Zoro's quiet...  _snores?_  She glanced over and up, startled to see him sleeping while standing!

She bumped her shoulder into his elbow, pushing him off balance and making him start awake with a snort as he caught his balance.

He glared at her, voice a quiet mumble as not to attract Nami's attention. "Leave me be, witch."

She dropped her voice, too. "Of all people, you should be listening to the mission brief, not sleeping."

"I can do both.  _Aaahh..._ " He whispered, yawning and scratching at his unruly green spikes, overall making his bed-head significantly worse. "Did Nami say how many docks there are?"

Fi knew why he posed that question based on what the others already told her, but she asked in a whisper anyway. " _Ah_ , why?"

"Just wonderin'."

She had heard about his ability to get lost walking in a straight line, but she looked forward to seeing it for herself. "I see."

He peered down at her with one sleepy, reddish eye. "The best islands have only one port."

" _Fu_ — _eh-hem._ " Robin covered her laugh with a cough, turning her face away.

Fi pressed her lips together in a tight line to avoid breaking her serious face or outright cackling. "I think she said there are… fourteen docks or something."

" _Four_ —" He started much too loudly before lowering his volume to a whisper again. "— _teen?_ "

Fi briefly widened her eyes in commiseration. "Far too many."

"I'm tired just thinkin' bout it."

On her other side, Robin subtly covered her mouth and fully turned away, taking several steps off to the right as her body shook near-imperceptibly with silent laughter.

 _Shit_ —Fi never had this much difficulty keeping a straight face when she wasn't on this damn ship!

" _Aaahhh_." He yawned yet again, angling to sit down. "I should have another nap."

Knowing Nami would get pissed, she snagged his collar to prevent his movement, pulling him upright again, admittedly needing a little chakra due to his unreasonably heavy frame.

" _Oi!_ " He whispered in protest.

"Sleep at night like other humans." She whispered back.

" _Che_. Like you?"

They narrowed their eyes at one another, the silent lightning of challenge passing between them.

Neither Zoro nor Fi saw the dubious look Nami and Sanji shared before the redhead again turned her attention to the colorful duo not-so-subtly arguing among themselves and  _definitely_  not listening.

"And I  _saiiiiid_  that leaves you two lovebirds to the task!"

Both snapped their heads towards her.

" _Ah,_  what?"

"'Scuse me?"

" _Fufufufu._ Nami, what task, a _hah_ , is that again?" Robin supplied helpfully, still laughing too much.

"Picking up extra barrels of Cola. Franky needs time to find some dongle or another for the Sunny." Nami's extra-bubbly, candy-sweet tone gave Fi the creeps. It was her truest tell that she was scheming. "So that leaves you two! Fi, I trust you with the money. Zoro, you carry the barrels back and  _listen to Fi_! Isn't it  _nice_  that you'll be  _together_  on an island?!"

Fi blinked at Nami without reacting.  _Definitely a sea witch_.

"Why do I always gotta—" Zoro threw his head back petulantly and started to whine, but Nami cut him off.

" _Muscles_. And because I don't want to pay for delivery." Nami held her hand up in warning, cutting off further protest as she turned her eyes to Fi. "Don't let the big baby wander off."

Admittedly, Fi was entertained with her,  _ah,_  pairing with the swordsman, but she cleared her throat. "Actually, Nami, everyone. I… have a request."

All nine Straw Hats shut right up and looked at her expectantly, even Luffy, who had looked catatonic until that point. She looked at the Straw Hat captain while she spoke.

"I want to sail with you for the next four weeks."

The captain laughed. " _Shishi_ , well, that's good news, 'cause I kinda already assumed you were!"

"To do that," Fi looked back to Nami, "I need to leave first and come back last. I shouldn't be seen on the Sunny, so don't linger at port. I'll get back to the ship on my own."

"Wait, why?" Nami questioned. "How?"

Fi fiddled with the tool pouch on her hip, making sure it was tightly secured as she answered. "I have to take care of a few things. From the shadows."

Several Straw Hats spoke at once.

"I don't like the sound of that one bit!" Usopp complained. "Are we in danger?!"

" _Oww_ bad idea!" Franky put his hands on his hips. "We should stick together if there's trouble!"

"Kay! Have fun!" Luffy cheered.

"I don't think that's a good idea either." Brook warned.

Robin interjected before Fi could respond to any of them. "I'd be a good partner if you're going undercover."

"Thank you, Robin, but that would seem suspicious."

"Suspicious to  _who?_ " Nami wondered intelligently.

"Other ninja."

"You're still injured." Zoro reminded her, arms crossed, deep frown conveying his annoyance as he peered down at her with one eye.

" _Well._ " She didn't fight the way her eyes narrowed at the mosshead. "Look who's awake now."

Yet again, a bolt of challenge passed between them, but Chopper piped up.

"Good point! You should avoid all fighting or doing anything strenuous."

Fi crouched and hopped up to the port side railing right at her back. "I'll lay lower than any of  _you_ , I'm sure."

"You can't be going  _now?!_ " Zoro protested. "You gonna swim?"

"There's practically a walkway. Look how close together the ice is now." Fi gestured out to the ice floating on the sea.

"Who's going to keep track of this idiot?" Nami bemoaned, gesturing to an indignant swordsman.

" _Hey!_ "

"Oh, I can still take care of that." She reassured Nami and then turned to Zoro. "I'll meet you in town. Get as lost as you'd like. You are ridiculously easy to track."

"You should dress warmer than that, sweetness." Sanji cautioned, speaking up for the first time.

"I'll change when I get there. Oh." She turned to the bored but behaving captain. "Luffy, you especially should keep your mouth shut about having a ninja on your ship, okay?"

Fi crouched low, amassing chakra in her legs before anyone else thought to offer their opinion.

"Okay, gotcha!" Luffy grinned and waved. "Cya later!"

"I still don't understand how you'll get back— _wait!_ " Nami started once again, but it was too late.

Fi leapt off the Sunny with a powerful bound, landing on the ice lightly, keeping a steady flow of chakra to her feet for easier traction and speed. She leaned forward without pause to her step, running at full tilt with her arms behind her, jumping between ice sheets when necessary.

She heard Nami demand that Luffy follow after her. Chopper squawked about her being too rough. Luffy and Usopp went nuts about her ' _ninja run_.' Sanji spoke in a low, hushed tone, and Fi couldn't hear what he said but was surprised when it was  _Zoro_  who responded in a similarly quiet voice, followed by Robin.  _What was that about?_

After quickly leaving behind generalized Straw Hat chaos, she felt a  _little_  bad for leaving them hanging. But this was necessary.

It was in their best interest that she  _not_  be spotted on the Sunny so openly.

And Fi really did need to go incognito—she would arrive totally undetected, no ninja trickery necessary until soil.

Though it was a clear day and someone looking in the right direction would easily see bright purple blurring across the ice, she didn't intend to stay out in the open like this.

Fi wouldn't stay on the ice at all.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daddy Z keeps me up at night. Just sayin'.


	12. My Sun-eyed Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE
> 
> Thanks to the wonderful ni21 for betaing and infinitely improving this chapter! As I mentioned before, yall should check out her delightful ZoroxRobin fic, Shoganai :)
> 
> And again… THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE
> 
> Now, full steam ahead!

* * *

 

Eyes rising above the waterline with the slightest of ripples, from between ice sheets in the frigid, dark waters of the rolling sea, Fiore scouted the island's narrow southern coast.

Nami had said this triangle-shaped island, Hasmeda Harbor, was well-populated at its southern tip. It _sounded_ true to her sensitive ears—the bustle of a town center wasn't far away, just inland of the lone set of docks that reached like two bony fingers into the icy sea from the relatively deforested southern harbor. No Marine ships present, fortunately.

To Fi's east, mangroves of evergreen-like conifers encroached on the surf. The whole dense, tangled forest fanned out to the east-northeast, elevation generally sea level until due north where it rose sharply. North-northwest, the island's mass fanned out and _up_ in sharp elevation, thick tree-cover giving way to treacherous precipices all along on the coasts.

She selected a stretch of mangrove to the east, and after double-checking it was indeed as deserted as it looked, made a quick, utterly silent approach under the water. She rose with a wave, the cold wind biting at her as she broke the surface and snagged a thick root with her right hand. _Shit, so cold!_ She pulled herself up among the huge roots and leapt upward through the tangle, crouching at the base of a massive tree, shaking water out of her face. Fi was loathe to leave the comfort of the rough waves— _fucking thin human skin_ , _brrr!_

Now, her critical task was to get dry before she froze to death yet also remain absolutely unseen. She'd have just changed clothes in the forest, but still uncertain of her surroundings, she didn't want to risk it. Better to find a safer space to catch her breath until she could scope out her competition.

Sharpening her observat-, _er_ , Chi awareness— _heh, she was spending far too much time among pirates_ —and hiding her chakra signature with a simple jutsu, she moved at top speed through the forest. Her sacral chakra point, rooted at the base of her spine, stirred restlessly. Fi allowed the reflexive, red-glowing energy to seep into her limbs and guide her movements as she leapt across roots, swung through the canopy, and slid across smooth rock faces, acrobatically free-running as the crow flies—all without snapping a single twig.

She savored the exhilaration of running and moving on instinct, muscles high on the feeling of natural mobility even if she felt like a popsicle with her wet clothes. For a few glorious moments, just like when she was swimming in the endless ocean, Fi felt free.

Finding the edge of the closest inhabited area she stole into the nearest unoccupied structure and promptly plucked the waterproof scroll from a slender pocket within the weapons pouch still on her waist.

Her fingers were already stiff and clumsy with the cold, but she made the appropriate hand-sign and unsealed her winter clothes from the scroll. There was a quick burst of smoke, and her clothes materialized out of the air, dropping to her feet.

She stripped naked and squeezed the excess saltwater out of her hair then quickly changed into the dry, form-fitted pants and long-sleeve shirt, both her characteristic black. After speedily re-braiding her hair and securing it with her blue ribbon, she carefully tucked her hair into her black cowl and donned the thick, black coat provided by Nami, buttoning it completely.

Making the reciprocal hand-signs over the scroll, she sealed her wet garb in it before stashing it in her pouch once again. She dried her weapons the best she could, noting they'd all need to be cleaned properly after being exposed to saltwater. Finally, she repacked them and attached the pouch around her thigh where it usually sat. Her coat hung to her knees, concealing her tool pouch without hindering her legs too much. Fortunately, this was a winter island. The fur-lined collar and hood let Fi comfortably hide herself from prying eyes.

She rolled her healing, left shoulder a few times to test it. _Tender again_. Salt water did _not_ help her wounds and all but halted the healing process. It was the _only_ reason she'd stayed out of the water the last several weeks. Today would be a good test for it, though.

An image of Chopper giving his _very-serious-doctor's-orders_ frown of disapproval brought a warm feeling that helped fight the residual cold.

Since her chakra signature was already dampened with a basic jutsu, she could generate a much stronger energy concealment illusion without drawing attention to herself. This advanced technique would hide her chakra all day and extend to any Fi-clones. She took her time and invested genuine deference into her task, closing her eyes and focusing inward. Touching consciousness to each of her seven chakra points, her power reacted enthusiastically after weeks of low-key activity.

Fi began the long series of hand-signs to accompany the archaic lines handed down per Fang tradition, sensei to student, when one learned this complex jutsu. Evoking the words wasn't necessary, but it was an empowering connection to the memory of her betters.

_Soundless path. Echoes pass. Softly still. Shadow's success._

A warm tingling skittered across her skin, Chi slowly becoming visible around her body as a shimmering aura, first totally dominated by a multifaceted emerald emanating from the chakra point in her chest. Fi had an affinity for heart chakra, naturally in tune with its governing characters. Unshakable and unchained. Loyal and fervent. Just like the fiercest wolf.

She slowly released a controlled stream of power from the other six chakra points throughout her body, maintaining her inner equilibrium by embracing the psychosomatic components ruling each as they rushed through her. Her Chi waved with the different colors of each chakra point as she infused the jutsu with power from each of them.

Her green aura took on a compelling, persuasive blue from her throat, feeling the passive power of the truth like the free whale. Yellow from her solar plexus, doubtless and clever like the confident rat. Indigo from her forehead, intuitive and decisive like the wise eagle. Orange from her navel, driven and craving like the hungry snake. Violet from the crown of her head, clear-minded and omniscient like the unstoppable tiger. Red from the base of her spine, rooted and poised like the immovable elephant.

She finished the final hand sign, intoning reverently. " _Secret Fang Technique: Phantom Vex._ "

The tingle of chakra diminished, and her Chi became invisible again as the powerful illusion took firm hold, replacing the weaker jutsu.

While some ninja were better than others at detecting hidden power, this advanced technique would hide her presence from even top tier ninja. She and any of her clones would be untrackable. And beyond using such a powerful jutsu, a rogue ninja like Fi had the distinct advantage of experience evading ninja eyes while coming and going as she pleased. Ninja might catch a glimpse of her, _like right before she killed them,_ and thenshe would slip away again.

And since they were unable to track her by her chakra signature, she would be free to help Zoro find the cola merchant and then meld back into the shadows to take care of her own business.

_So far, so good_

Fi ducked back outside and discretely made her way through the shadows, towards the busy town square and the island's lone grouping of docks. She reckoned she had a half hour before the Sunny docked, given that the crew had to circle the island to be sure the harbor was safe for pirates. It was a good amount of time to circle the town and get a an assessment of her enemies. Her mind would be eased if she was sure it wasn't _too_ perilous for the Straw Hats, should something go wrong.

In reality, only a week had passed since Zoro _so helpfully_ announced a small, purple-haired ninja's presence to an _entire_ town. It probably wasn't enough time for the Elders to issue orders for their most powerful fighters to stop whatever they were doing and travel to intercept her, which was good news. Elders were the individuals who held the highest authority in their respective clans, oversaw all interclan politics, and were also the supreme masters of their clans' respective martial arts. And they wanted her head no matter the price.

Regardless, ninja were covert, intelligence-based operatives with eyes and ears around the world. She expected that nearby ninja who heard about her activities would be here, the predictable next stop of the Sunny, and fully committed to gifting their clan Elder her corpse. After all, every single ninja, no matter their rank, had standing orders to kill her on sight at all costs. The ninja who brought her down would become a hero.

Stepping into the crowd and moving down the street at a normal pace, she kept her eyes low and senses sharp as she got a feel for the layout of her surroundings and the people around her.

The market was crowded with buildings constructed of timber from the surrounding forests and rocks from the mountains to the west. Ordinary buyers and sellers haggled and negotiated over resources from the sea and woodlands. The streets were _uncomfortably_ crowded—nearly shoulder to shoulder. It was good for reconnaissance, but she _hated_ being so close to strangers.

It made her realize how strangely wonderful it felt to be familiar enough with the Straw Hats that their physical proximity wasn't so difficult anymore. Especially Zoro. Much as she hated to admit it, an affection-deprived idiot like her actively craved his closeness.

With a few zig-zags through the crowded markets, it didn't take long for Fi to sense a handful of distinctly ninja-like presences within several busy blocks.

There were two foolish ninja overhead in the bell tower that looked over the town square and docks. _Probably the Bane_ _clan._ Those idiots always took to high ground and surveilled from the most obvious places. While their stealth was usually superior to the other clans, enabling them to get away with such tactics, these two clearly didn't think they needed to conceal themselves yet.

The Straw Hat ship hadn't arrived yet, where they assumed Fi to be and thus not yet a threat. Plus, the Bane were allied with the other remaining ninja clans, if not outright coordinating with them, so no need to hide from other ninja present.

She rolled her eyes. _The logic of fledglings_.

Gauging their chakra levels, she confirmed her assessment that they were probably of the lowest rank in the ninja hierarchy—Tier Three Soldiers, ninja who had only mastery over one or two, maybe three, of their chakra points.

Next, Fi drifted down another busy street of the main market. She counted four ninja who at least concealed their chakra and Chi, albeit with varying levels of effectiveness and none skilled enough to escape _her_ veteran senses.

Even among ninja elites, she was exceptionally good at detecting even the slightest hint of power and subtle shifts in Chi. It was an awareness born of necessity. Living as a rogue ninja since she was fifteen, Fi had been subject to constant threat and assassination attempts for eighteen tiring years—more than half her goddamn life. She has _always_ had to be alert in some capacity. It wasn't _infallible_ , though. She made mistakes and got distracted. If someone knew how to avoid detection, and she was totally at ease, a person could still sneak up on her.

But her observational abilities were also advantaged by her naturally sensitive nose and ears. Even when her ability to sense a chakra signature was stunted, she could _hear_ someone approaching her.

Another advantage of living apart from ninja society for so long was how easily she identified ninja versus non-ninja. Even without her highly developed awareness, ninja stood out in a crowd because of their mannerisms.

And these four low-level Tier Three from the Ember clan, with those characteristic tattoos visible on the backs of their hands and hyperactive Chi, were perfect examples.

Their movements were quick to the point of twitchy, or they held far too still. Incredibly rigid posture. Eyes that darted around with almost comedic suspicion despite their stoic expressions. And that was the worst giveaway of all—the impassiveness that often mirrored her own.

It was a facade each ninja spent their childhood perfecting in the face of any situation and emotion, from enduring torture to sheer elation. A ninja was only as good as their poker face, and a good ninja didn't crack under any level of duress, obviously. For her part, Fi wasn't quite _excellent_ at this unless a situation warranted it.

In general, ninja didn't know how to mimic the _aloofness_ of an ordinary person going about daily life.

It betrayed one of the many faults of the Elders' insistence on social isolation, even in this modern era. Since most ninja never bothered to step foot off their island until a mission called for it, there were certain behavioral differences even the best soldiers couldn't hide. They prided themselves on being clandestine operatives yet generations of arrogance in isolation made them sloppy.

Fi didn't _always_ care to school her own tells, but _damn_ , at least she knew how to fake a non-ninja demeanor when the need arose—like now, strolling right under the noses of her highly astute, alert pursuers!

 _Tch_. Idiots.

That made six Tier Three Soldiers altogether, Bane and Ember, sticking out like sore thumbs, all far too green to oppose someone like her.

She'd take them out now if it wasn't for the fact that she needed to lay low until she had a better headcount of her enemies. Where were the Tier Two Enforcers hiding?

Tier Two ninja had mastery over at least four or five chakra points and were given positions of responsibility in the field. They planned missions and sometimes took leadership roles in characteristic four-man teams. There were bound to be a few Tier Two around, probably stalking the harbor and directing around their subordinate Tier Three Soldiers

Fi continued forward, turning a corner to scope out another busy street closer to the docks, letting her senses absorb the world around.

 _Ah!_ Three Striker ninja _somewhere_ nearby.

She could _smell_ a damn Striker from thirty meters out—their scent still stood out to her despite the mixed smells of people, food, and dead fish flavoring the air. They used this distinct oil—patchouli, cypress, and lemon—to keep their characteristic long hair tamed into topknots and generally mask their otherwise unchecked body odor.

Fi followed her nose for another minute before triangulating their stake-out position to a restaurant in plain view of the docks. She stayed outside, leaning casually against the side of a building, letting the milling and moving crowd obscure her from their keen gazes as she watched them at their table by the front window.

There were three of them, silent and observant but telltale mannerisms tamed and much better controlled compared to the others she'd discovered so far. As expected, they sported long hair slicked up into buns, baggy black poncho sweaters, and black harem pants. Experts at energy control and manipulations, Striker always concealed their energy well, and these three were no exception.

Too bad for the Striker their idiotic oil and style gave them away, damn ninja hippies.

It would have been difficult to guess at their Tier without seeing them in action, but Fi knew many Striker ninja in the distant past and killed many in recent years. She happened to know the concealment jutsu they used now was neither basic nor as complex as her own. _Likely Tier Two Enforcer._ Maybe they'd offer a little more competition than the novice Tier Three Bane and Ember ninja.

She scrunched her nose in distaste at the uncomfortably familiar scent, vaguely wondering what role the Striker clan, once close allies, played in the extermination of the Fang.

Not wanting to linger and catch their attention, Fi rejoined the crowd and moved closer to the docks.

There were two additional ninja close by. She covertly scanned the people moving around on the docks, eyes quickly falling on the two whose presence she felt. They lounged on a bench in the biting wind like it was a summer day. Was it sheer arrogance that drove them to sit in the cold like that, blatantly waiting for her arrival?

Fi narrowed her eyes— _definitely the Raze clan._ Those bastards were pompous at the best of times, even low-Tier like these two. _Whatever_. It made killing them more satisfying. These two would probably end up being her favorite kill of the day simply because they were Raze pricks.

She turned down an alley and headed towards a relatively quiet but tall cathedral to get out of the cold and wait for the Sunny to make its approach in a few minutes.

 _Where was the Thorn clan?_ None nearby, perhaps? Or maybe they stayed just out of town, waiting to investigate the outcome of today?

They were the most cautious of the clans. And the most cowardly. Thorn ninja were the assholes who favored poisoned projectiles in lieu of getting their hands dirty. They used that nasty neurotoxin, the so-called _Elderdeath_ , developed by the current leader and most powerful ninja of the Thorn clan, Elder Vail.

Her lip pulled back in displeasure. _Only thing worse than a pungent Striker was a spineless Thorn_.

Fi entered an unlocked back door of the cathedral and silently stole away to the upper floors, finding an ideal position to monitor both the ninja around town and the docks.

She recounted who she'd so far found waiting for her.

Two low-tier soldiers from the Bane clan and four from the Ember clan. Three stinky twats from the Striker clan, all mid-tier at best. Two shitheads from the Raze clan at _who-gives-a-shit_ tiers, 'cause they were going to die soon anyway. None from the Thorn clan detected yet.

 _Tch._ Definitely squads who were coincidentally nearby and _not_ any sent by the clan Elders.

It may not be the exciting kind of fighting for her, but at least the Straw Hats weren't going to be dragged to hell today. _Well, probably_.

She obviously couldn't predict what kind of non-ninja mess _Luffy_ might make, or any of the others, for that matter. There were no Marine ships in the harbor, but Nami was right—the island was crawling with law, government officials, and criminals. It wasn't just Luffy, though… _many_ Straw Hats were likely to stir something up, which made Fi smile a little.

_Speak of the devils…_

There was a dark dot on the horizon, sailing straight towards her.

Fi closed her right eye and focused some chakra behind her left optic nerve, sharpening her sight temporarily.

_The Sunny._

She watched only a few more seconds before letting the chakra behind her left eye dissipate. Heightening one's senses with chakra was a skillful albeit risky use of power. Such techniques required exceptionally refined control and precision in application, as even a breath too much chakra would cause nerve damage at best and irreparable brain damage at worst. Most ninja didn't hazard it, not even during quiet surveillance like this. _Heh_ —unlike Zoro, apparently.

A handful of minutes passed, and finally, the ship approached the harbor.

A faint, high-pitched squeal of laughter just barely caught her ears as she watched the crew flit around, furling sails and preparing anchors to drop. They worked together efficiently and methodically, clearly used to the routine, but their mouths and expressive demeanors never _stopped!_ She could hear each of them now—complaining, laughing, cursing, teasing, ordering, chattering.

_So damn noisy!_

Another few minutes, and the loudest pirates in the whole godforsaken New World were docked. The crew shuffled around, all preparing for their time in town. Nami disembarked first and alone to haggle down docking fee.

While the Straw Hats waited on their navigator, Fi prepared for the afternoon's important task of efficiently murdering every ninja on the island.

She made a series of hand-signs, again selecting a much more complex jutsu than she usually used, and with a quiet poof of smoke, five corporeal Fi-clones appeared.

The original ninja took a deep, steadying breath, trying to get used to the abrupt emptiness that came with this advanced technique. To make strong corporeal clones like these, the jutsu user suffered a great reduction in total power because one's chakra must be equally divided among the original and the duplicates. One corporeal clone meant a power reduction of half.

And her power was presently divided six ways.

It still left her feeling uneasy with the void created by possessing only a fraction of her usual power, but _it was fine._ Even if physically draining, this jutsu wouldn't _exhaust_ Fi. Not with her deep chakra wells.

There were, of course, major advantages to this advanced jutsu that justified the risk of such an extreme split of her total power. Rather than disappear after incurring _any_ damage, corporeal clones had far more substance to their form and would only disperse if hit with a fatal blow. They also had much more autonomy and agency. With all that chakra dedicated to maintaining their existence, corporeal clones were truly a durable extension of her.

Still, cloning jutsus weren't exactly her forte, and five corporeal clones was near her limit.

But it was the right strategy for the situation. The chakra levels of her enemies didn't exactly necessitate use of her full strength. And with having to keep track of many ninja and pirates, the chakra-link connected her and all her clones to provide instantaneous information flow—each knew, saw, and felt what the others did in real time. It was over-stimulating and a guaranteed headache, but essential.

There was also a major external factor in favor of this strategy: geography. This island was small enough that maintaining the jutsu was _possible_. Increasing distances between the user and the chakra vested in corporeal clones heightened the physical strain on the original ninja, an effect that also weakened the clones. Since the town was further bounded by steep mountains and dense forest, her and her clones would generally stay in close spatial proximity. _'Til she had to get rid of the bodies of her enemies_ , of course.

Finally, Nami returned to the lawn deck and reminded the others to _'keep out of trouble and board the Sunny by dinner time.'_ She sighed, and apparently accepting that her words were lost on the others, but gave the go-ahead for the crew to leave.

"YAH- _HOOOOO_!"

Luffy flung himself to shore like a cannonball, Usopp tucked under his arm like a football and bitching about it. They barreled towards the town center with the subtlety of a freight train.

With a cringe at the boys' noise and an entirely sarcastic little salute to the original Fi, one corporeal clone took off to tail whichever group of ninja pursued and attempted to engage Luffy and Usopp.

Though it was true for the whole crew, as the captain, enemy ninja would pay extra close attention to him. Hopefully he'd keep his mouth shut as requested and mitigate their interest in him and his crew.

Next, Nami, Sanji, Robin and Chopper departed together. Sanji and Chopper leapt over the ship railing and waited for Nami and Robin to descend the rope ladder. The four walked down the docks and made for the market as well, chatting easily.

Sanji and Nami would split off from Robin and Chopper eventually, assuming Nami hadn't changed their plans while Fi was absent, so two Fi-clones departed to follow the four Straw Hats. One clone gave the original an eye-roll, and the other shot her a look of pure annoyance.

 _Heh_. Corporeal clones were as amusing as they were useful with the way they reflected the jutsu-user's personality. Evidently, Fi hated being told what to do, even if she was the one making the demands.

The original Fi pressed her lips as she watched Zoro hop up and over the railing, boots hitting the dock with the same volume as a clap of thunder. He straightaway took a wrong turn down a perpendicular section of dock and met a dead-end, looking somewhere between vexed and startled when he nearly walked off the end of the pier!

_Seriously?!_

"Bro!" From the ship, Franky called out to the wayward swordsman.

Zoro looked back at him and then to where the cyborg pointed, changing his trajectory accordingly. He made his way to where the pier met soil, having to turn back to Franky for guidance a few times. That the cyborg knew not to stop pointing after the first time was perhaps Fi's favorite part of the whole exchange.

And despite that the marimo seemed lost, he cast a subtle eye to the two ninja sitting on the bench at the opposite end of the docks. Fi and her remaining two clones didn't miss the way his green eyebrows lowered in concern after his back was to the ninja.

Her smile grew because Zoro _knew_.

As soon as he disappeared off the docks and into the crowd, the two Raze ninja left their bench on the pier to follow him from a distance. _Good luck, assholes_.

Another clone, smiling a little too wide, moved to follow Zoro but suddenly stopped and shot the original an unimpressed frown. The original ninja's thought rang loud and clear for her clones— _yeah, right. He's mine._

After a few more minutes and with a wave to the skeleton, Franky took off for town. Her irritated clone gave her the middle finger as she departed to tail Franky instead of Zoro.

The original Fi left her last corporeal clone to monitor the ship and Brook and took off towards the eastern side of the busy market, where Zoro managed to stray in the exact opposite direction of the cola merchant.

She focused on keeping her Chi awareness and other senses sharp for other ninja while letting Zoro's ridiculously distinct presence draw her forward, most definitely ignoring her enthusiasm for meeting up with the green-haired cutie again.

* * *

_Why the hell did this many people live in a place so damn cold?!_

Zoro shuffled through the crowded streets, trying to make his way towards a quieter street and maybe a good booze joint. It's not like he knew where to get more cola for the Sunny. And he could always go for more rum.

It wasn't that he _sensed_ her like normal—her usual haki presence was absent—nor did he even catch a glimpse her distinct color or metal piercings. He just got that _feeling_.

Zoro glanced to his right and then _down_ at the small figure who walked in step next to him, graceful and silently condescending. Dressed in black, hood up, and hair hidden, Fi tilted her head enough to catch his eye with her keen amethyst ones, face all neutral and unexpressive, unlike on the Sunny.

 _Che._ He'd expected as much, but it was still odd to see her back to cold-blooded killer vibes.

"I can't believe you actually run like that."

Her features didn't change, but he saw the flash of displeasure in her eyes crystal clear. "It's _aerodynamic_."

" _Heheh._ " He was kinda relieved that he could still read her despite that chilly indifference she wore like a cloak. "Well, if that's how aerodynamic looks, I'm glad I'm _not_."

She nudged him to the left with her shoulder and tipped her chin to indicate they should turn down the next street. "I wonder… How many sets of docks did you see on your way into harbor?"

His cheeks warmed immediately. "Oh, _shuddup._ "

As they moved forward, she stepped closer, briefly pressing against him and his swords to let a stranger pass without brushing her. He'd not forgotten about that habit of hers, even with how comfortable she'd gotten on the Sunny, so he was disarmed by her closeness for a quick second. Just like figuring she'd be makin' her ninja face again, he had figured she'd keep her distance from him, too.

"So, how's it looking around town?"

"Busy. But it won't be a problem."

He dropped his volume, knowing she could hear him. "Saw those idiots on the docks."

Her eyes cut to his meaningfully. "Your very own stalkers."

"That's fuckin' creepy." He complained.

"Well, keep doing what you're doing." She suggested. "They're having a hard time patterning your erratic movements. Even with that hair and haki of yours, _heh_ , they can't keep you in their sights."

" _Tch._ Don't think I won't cut you in public, shitty half-pint ninja."

Fi grew quiet, and in his peripheral, he could see her eyes narrow in annoyance, nothing to do with his threat and insult.

"I'll return. Stay lost, Vespucci." Without waiting for a response, she stepped away, disappearing into the shadows of the crowd immediately.

 _That little thing…_ She was stressing him the hell out lately.

He glanced around subtly, feeling out with his observation haki. So, he had ninja he couldn't see or feel followin' him around. _Great_.

Back to plan A—he goddamn _needed_ more booze at this point.

_And what the fuck was a 'vespucci'?_

* * *

From the perspective of her clones, Fi monitored each group in real time while she met up and bantered with Zoro, _that irritating, observant pirate._

Fi got the sense that, though the ninja worked in their clan squads, they were coordinating their movements to cover the whole crew. And there were others who didn't follow or monitor the Straw Hats but merely waited, biding their time, waiting for Fi to leave herself open somehow.

It only took a handful of minutes for the other ninja groups to find their targets.

There were, of course, two Raze _trying_ to follow Zoro. But she didn't give exactly a shit about those bastards. They couldn't keep up with the wayward swordsman, and they definitely couldn't track _her_. And on the off chance they _did_ see her with Zoro, they'd be dead before dinner anyway.

The four hothead Ember ninja followed Nami's group and then split into two-man teams as the Straw Hats did. Two followed Sanji and Nami, while the other two tailed Robin and Chopper. Fi's two clones also separated, one following each group to keep eyes on everyone.

One of the two Bane followed Franky, while the other ended up spying on Brook and loitering around the docks.

The three Striker hippies found their mark with Luffy and Usopp. She could have guessed as much—they always went for the leaders first and worked fast. Her clone confirmed they were getting in position to make a move.

Fi didn't want to leave the chance that one Striker may slip away from her lone clone and directly attack Luffy and Usopp, so she left Zoro to his capricious, directionless strolling to intercept the enemy.

Picking her target, she wasted no time sneaking down a side-street alley between two buildings, getting closer to the unsuspecting female Striker. Fi's clone similarly stalked another one, the male, who crouched out of sight on the roof of an adjacent building. The third Striker was still several alleyways up the street.

Their enemies laid in wait for the Straw Hats, preparing to ambush them when they passed by.

She got serious about her tactic. It was easy to rag on their hippie stench and dress, but the Striker's threat wasn't to be underestimated.

The clan practiced the Kenzun style, a mixed martial art focused on attacking pressure and chakra points to neutralize their opponent's body and power. The style relied on speed, agility, and precision to target these vulnerable spots with chakra-laced finger punches, knifehand strikes, and low kicks. And their attacks didn't even have to make direct contact to be effective so long as they were accurately aimed-their chakra-based strikes were effective from inches away. They also perfected clan-specific jutsus that concussed an opponent's Chi, which totally disrupted one's ability to sense impending attacks and inhibited the use of chakra.

Fi's own fighting style would be useless if she got hit even once in the right spot, since it was based on vicious retaliation and chakra-powered killshots.

She crept up behind the hidden ninja, keeping to the shadows and utterly silent.

Her target's predator-like focus was _riveted_ on Luffy. _True to form_ —they were picking off the leader first.

Just as both Striker tensed in preparation for their attack, Luffy's mesmerized voice carried out as he abruptly halted, throwing an arm in front of Usopp to stop his sniper's progress, too.

"OoohhHHHHH! Do you smell _thaaaaat_!?"

Fi lifted her nose and inhaled. _Heh._ Grilled meat. Luffy smelled _food_.

She watched the captain forcefully drag a complaining Usopp in an entirely new direction, avoiding the waiting Striker by a wide margin.

 _Oh-hoho_. The seas themselves favored that damn kid, in spite of his devil fruit.

The female Striker ninja turned to leave her hiding spot and follow Luffy but instead came face-to-face with an admonishing Fi. " _Ah, ah._ Leave those kids alone."

The Striker ninja's eyes widened as she started making a series of hand signs for a Kenzun-based jutsu to concuss Fi's Chi, but she expected this and threw a single shuriken with deadly speed and accuracy, forcing the Striker ninja break her hand-signs to deflect the shuriken with a kunai.

It was a decoy of course; Fi had already skipped forward and caught the enemy in the head with a chakra-charged front hook kick. Her foot glowed green with the power of her dominate chakra point as it connected with the side of the ninja's head and neck. But she was a Fang, and a front hook kick from a Fang was a killshot. Using her leg as a lever and a dense surge of chakra, she whipped the ninja's weight downward in a smooth arc, head-first, slamming her opponent's skull into the ground the with ferocious speed and brutality known of Nadari masters, the martial art of the Fang clan.

The Striker's flesh and bone gave way to the brick of the street with a satisfying, wet smack, mushy brain matter and blood painting ground and the front of her winter boots.

_One down._

At the same time, her clone on the rooftop above engaged the male ninja who had been crouched and focused on Luffy. He didn't notice her presence until her hands were around him, demonstrating why she earned that moniker all those years ago.

Her movement was so quick and fluid it was only a blur. She wrapped one arm around his head to grip his chin and pressed her other hand into the base of his skull, applying upwards pressure to create space between his vertebra as she simultaneously jerked his chin all the way over his right shoulder, twisting with chakra-enhanced speed and strength to sever his brain stem with a lovely popping _snap._

She stepped back as hippie ninja number two fell to the ground, limp and lifeless before he knew what happened.

 _Hell_ —it was almost too easy to be fun. _Almost._ It was still kind of fun.

The third and final Striker turned to engage the original Fi, who'd swiftly snuck up on her. The enemy didn't seem as surprised to see Fi, probably due to her comrades' Chi suddenly being snuffed out—'cause who the hell else on this damn island could take out her squad-mates so efficiently?

The enemy ninja engaged fast as lightning, kunai bouncing off kunai in a back-and-forth meant to create an opening to attack Fi's vital points. She countered the Striker's nimble, dexterous Kenzun style, all the while exploiting her movements to manipulate her into a good killing position.

Fi let her gain a little ground so she'd make her move— _and here it comes_ —the enemy started to stretch her right arm forward— _a deadly finger punch to the throat!_

The chakra-charged blow would instantaneously crush her throat and shatter her third through sixth cervical vertebra, resulting in the inability to breath, paralysis in her torso, arms, hands, and legs, and a loss of bowel and bladder control. The energy imbued into the attack would disable her throat chakra point and completely sever the flow of Chi between her head and the rest of her body, resulting in brain death in minutes. A slow, painful, and humiliating demise.

And an admirable Striker specialty.

Fi inhaled steadily as she shifted her balance to block and step outside the ninja's outstretched arm, safely away from the power and energy that extended past her opponent's lethal fingertips. At the same time, she grabbed the female's wrist and used her forward momentum to pitch her off balance while ramming her kunai in between her ribs, perforating her liver.

Her enemy yanked away to avoid the next stab, but a shuriken _thunked_ into the Striker's neck—Fi's clone had finally moseyed over, lazily ending the fight.

Original Fi _tsked_ her clone for taking the kill from her.

The enemy ninja tried to draw a breath, blood sputtering from around the shuriken sticking out of her neck as she fell to her knees, making a last-ditch attempt at hand-signs for an escape jutsu.

Fi brought her heel straight down on top of the enemy's head in a skull crushing axe kick.

The woman twitched as she fell face-first onto the street.

Her and her clone stood by for a minute to appreciate the sight of her enemy's life draining from the gaping hole in her neck. _Beautiful blood_. It darkened the bricks and formed little streams in the grooves of the mortar. Shit, it even _smelled_ good.

That death rattle was music to her ears.

 _Third and final Striker dead._ No competition from the Tier Two after all. _Disappointing._

Clone Fi used her foot to roll the dead ninja to her back, retrieving her shuriken and stealing the enemy's weapons as she'd done with the other two dead Striker. Ninja gear was difficult to come by in the outside world, but she would have a great stockpile by the end of the day!

Original Fi stood by and rolled her left shoulder. Chopper would _not_ approve, but it felt halfway decent considering the sutures in it.

They dragged the three dead ninja to a nearby trash pile in the shadows and then stood back to simultaneously flip off the corpses. Because _fuck the Striker clan._

Well, _shit_ —no rest of the wicked.

From the perspective of her other clones, Fi saw that the pairs of Ember ninja following Sanji the others were also moving into ambush formations, too. Ember ninja also liked to act fast. They also preferred to take out the perceived weak ones first. They may have been low-level, but for this reason, Fi wanted to take care of them personally.

The original directed the clone next to her to resume keeping watch over Luffy and Usopp's backs, while the clone watching Chopper and Robin was to catch up with Zoro and guide him to the cola merchant after the original Fi relieved her from Ember duty.

The self-congratulatory Fi-clone was low-key enthusiastic about meeting up with Zoro.

 _Ugh_.

She was the worst sometimes.

* * *

The hairs on his neck stood up.

Maybe it was only 'cause his observation haki was in sharp focus since he was still trying to sense those ninja sneaks, but he _felt_ it coming.

Zoro pulled his torso left to tuck his right side in and away from her damn fingers, managing to avoid her painful poke for the first time since they met.

" _Ahah! Hahahaha!"_ He laughed in victory, not paying any mind to the odd looks from those nearby on the crowded street as he cackled and pointed a finger at her, taunting. " _Haaa!_ "

Despite her chilly stoicism, Fi gave him a side-eye as she fell into step at his right side. "Still plenty lost, seaweed?"

"No way. I know where I'm goin', purple!" He defended automatically.

"And where's that?"

"To find booze. _Obviously._ " He spared her a look ' _duh_ ' look, but his gaze got stuck on her, sensing something a little different about her.

"Cola first, rum after." She sidestepped someone in the crowd, momentarily brushing against him. "We're going northwest. Just follow me, if possible."

Her tone betrayed her usual lofty assertiveness, but he couldn't put his finger on what was bugging him. He still didn't feel her haki, Chi, _whatever_ , so that was no help. He still felt the coldness around her, probably due to whatever murderous activities occupied her mind. It was Fi, but something was _different_.

He thought on it as they moved through the crowd, until he got distracted by the smell of delicious food somewhere. _Mmh_ , what was _that?_ Maybe _Bar-b-que?_

"You hun—" He had only glanced away from her for a few seconds, but when he looked back, there was no small ninja at his side. "—gry…"

Stopping, he scrubbed at the back of his head, resting his right hand reassuringly on his swords as he scanned the crowd and tried to decide which way was… _What'd she say? Southeast?_

 _Well, shi_ —

Suddenly, there was a firm yank on his coat sleeve, and he looked down to see her on his right again. She tugged him down a different, much quieter street before releasing his sleeve.

She looked up at him and he peered down at her as they walked side by side.

"I honestly didn't believe them when they described your sense of direction, but they weren't exaggerating."

 _Those shits!_ If _he_ wasn't concerned about his, ah, _navigational habits_ , why was anyone else?! A little warmth spread to his cheeks for unknown reasons.

" _Shuddup_ , chakra witch"

"Do I need to hold your hand? Oh, or perhaps you prefer to be on a _leash_." She deadpanned, stoic and obvious all at once.

" _Tch._ On either account, I'd rather be lost."

She looked away and stepped in front of him, pressing her back into him as she avoided someone who passed too close on the right, and Zoro _really_ tried not to read into it.

When she stepped away again and looked back up, there was plain mischief in her pretty gem eyes. _Hah_ —that mask of indifference really didn't work on him anymore! As they walked on, he fully expected the teasing when she started again.

"To be honest, I could get into the leash thing."

His disapproval deepened. She better _not_ really think he'd let her do something like that, but he didn't put it past her…

"You know," Her lips were tight, eyes narrowed near imperceptibly, obviously trying to keep a straight face as he frowned. "You'd look good with a collar. Get you a little bell."

 _That's it_.

He gripped her arm and halted, turning to her. He squeezed her chin between his index finger and thumb, forcefully tipping her head back so she had to look up at him fully. "I'll be the one holding the leash, so we're clear."

"You say that, but…" She provoked, fearless.

He bent down so they were nose to double-pierced nose, reminiscent of yesterday, as he gripped her chin and shamelessly glanced to her lips. "It's a good thing you're so fucking cute."

"Why—'cause otherwise you'd remind me who's the big bad pirate?" Her tone mocked, but her eyes fell to his mouth in a silent _yes please_ and rose bloomed under her skin.

He grinned widely, thoroughly amused. " _Wouldn't you be so lucky._ "

" _Ugh._ " She scoffed as annoyance and _impatience_ flashed in her eyes, but she still didn't pull away.

He straightened and dropped his hand, turning forward again and walking away from her. "That's a good look for you."

He got four paces away before she said anything, her bad-tempered tone stroking his ego even more. " _You're going the wrong way again, jackass_."

"Then hurry up and lead the way." He waved at her his shoulder but didn't turn back or stop moving. "We don't exactly have all day."

He lazily tilted his head to the left to dodge the single kunai she'd lobbed at the back of his head.

_Heheh._

Fuck, maybe she stressed him out, but the girl was too damn fun.

* * *

Fi felt distinctly resentful of her clone that got to hang with Zoro, _that teasing man_. He seemed to have perfected his ability to turn her on and piss her off all in the same breath.

At least he made it easy to interact so openly; he really did manage to elude the Raze ninja simply by getting so damn lost. To confuse and disorient highly trained ninja with nothing but an absolute lack of orientation— _truly an amazing feat_.

But instead of having fun like her clone, the original Fi stealthily bound across yet another rooftop, tracking down the last living member of an unimpressive but annoying Tier-Three squad of four from the Ember clan. He had fled her to hide out in a busy market center among the crowd where he _presumed_ it difficult for her to target him, given that ninja had rules against fights in public due to their policies of secrecy.

All four male Ember ninja had been _cowardly_ like that.

The clan was known for picking on whoever they thought was weaker than them, but these inexperienced four took it to another level. How could a self-respecting ninja look at _Chopper_ in _Brain Point_ —a small, fuzzy _deer_ —and think ' _there's my target._ ' Those Ember dicks didn't _know_ the kid was far stronger than he looked. They merely saw an easy mark.

 _Whatever_. That particular ninja was dead, courtesy of her markedly overpowered but very sincere heel when she chakra-kicked his face into the back of his skull. She had killed him in a shadowed back alley before he got within forty paces of the Chopper.

The second Ember who attempted to target Robin found himself on the pointy end of her kunai, his guts falling out of his abdomen right before his head faced the wrong way, dead thirty seconds after his partner.

As she suspected would be the case, the fights were dangerous as always but not _difficult_ , given her opponents' lack of true proficiency with their clan's characteristic fighting style, Uhgarav. It was based on lots of side-stepping and flowing circular movements meant to be disorienting. It wasn't that the Uhgarav style was inherently _weak_ -when wielded by masters, Fi knew firsthand Ember were menacing as hell, but these tadpoles made it look more flamboyant than anything with all that jumping and spinning about.

_The bloodletting was satisfying all the same._

She'd missed the familiar feel of flesh tearing under her kunai, of hot blood splattering up her arms, of bones crunching in her hands and under her heel. There was a reason her unwell mind regularly escaped to such moments—those were the sensations of victory. Victory meant living to see another sunset.

And she was making a number of those moments that day.

While the original Fi took out the first pair of Ember ninja, her clone engaged the pair following Sanji and Nami

In hindsight, she realized she shouldn't have been _surprised_ Sanji knew they were being followed and would interfere. Fi wasn't able to escape his strong observation haki when using a basic concealing jutsu on the Sunny, and these Ember were using just that.

When the two ninja sprang into action, her clone emerged from the shadows to intercept them. It wasn't difficult for her to occupy the two enemies and lure them away from the Straw Hats, but then _Sanji and Nami_ changed direction. and suddenly cut a path directly towards the vacant back alley where she'd cornered the two Ember.

Before they caught up to her, she quickly killed the one whose foot flew at her, simply catching his kick to pull him closer as she ran her kunai up his femoral artery and across his nutsack.

She sprang backwards to avoid both the blood and the fourth Ember's chakra-enhanced fist, but then Sanji appeared at the mouth of the alley, and the enemy took advantage of his momentary distance from Fi to target the blond.

Clone Fi was already making hand-signs for a jutsu to stop him, but then Sanji lunged forward to meet the ninja!

With an easy grace and heavy power, the blonde dodged the enemy's flying drop-kick and then retaliated with his own, much _faster_ spin-kick, sending the unsuspecting ninja through several brick walls, looking mildly inconvenienced by the whole thing as he straightened his jacket

 _Oh-hoho, noted!_ Don't _underestimate the kind, hot-tempered cook!_

"Hello my sweet, violet." He righted his tie as he approached with Nami. "Might I escort you to a safer part of town?"

"Hi there. Nice kick." Her clone gave the two Straw Hats a finger wave. "I'm okay, thank you."

"You really shouldn't be all alone on these desolate roads, you know, ninja or not!" Nami stood by and inspected her nail, looking bored before turning her knowing gaze to Fi. "How do you _tolerate_ all those creeps?!"

"I don't. I kill them" Her clone reassured off-handedly but then looked away, abruptly distractedly. " _I gotta go_."

"Can't we—" Sanji started, but it was too late.

Clone Fi sprang up to a nearby rooftop and took off in pursuit of the Ember ninja who'd come-to in the rubble and decided to _run_ from Fi instead of facing her.

From another part of town, the original Fi directed her clone to find and watch over Chopper and Robin instead of pursuing the Ember, who'd slipped into the crowds and was hiding out among citizens on a busy road closer to the original.

The original picked up his chakra signature, a few streets to her west in the town square.

She leapt from the roof into a deserted alleyway and then slid out into crowd, hunting the Ember without revealing herself. It took her a handful of minutes to position herself behind the keen and wary ninja as he moved through the crowd, but considering her superior chakra concealment jutsu, she closed in undetected. Once she was only a few people and several paces behind the ninja, she waited for her opening.

One person shuffled left… another off to the right… _Now!_

Quick but subtle, using the noise and motion of the busy street to screen her movements, she sprang forward into her enemy's backside and sank two kunai into him, blades piercing his body low to avoid his twelfth ribs then angling upward to rupture each kidney.

He was utterly silent as his body locked up with the shock of unbearable pain—the extensive innervation at the kidneys made it a delightful way to instantly disable someone as excruciatingly as possible sans fuss. The major blood flow to the kidneys meant an immediate loss of blood pressure, and total cessation of function and sepsis were obviously lethal, too.

But she didn't _care_ that this kid was already as good as dead.

He thought he was safe from _her_ because he hid in a _crowd of civilians_?

_Had these young ninja forgotten who they opposed?!_

She twisted her blades as she drew them back, a soft, strangled noise escaping her rigid enemy. Within the next half second, she pierced the tip of one kunai deep under his ear and pushed the blade forward to rip through his right carotid, moving in the opposite direction by the time the spray of blood hit a nearby person in the crowd

Fi was already immersed in the sea of people when the screaming started.

She walked away from the scene, her face shadowed with resentment and restrained rage, but no one looked at her twice with the bloody comotion behind her… _Well,_ no one except the other ninja loitering in the shadows of the main market. The ones unconcerned with pirates.

And for a few freeing moments, she let her deep-seeded fury shine through for those prying eyes on her, silently communicating her wrath to those ninja watching in that moment without engaging, the ones biding their time for the right moment to attack.

 _Fang Fiore_ , most wanted rogue ninja of this damn century, was _not_ bound by their petty rules of engagement—lest her enemy forget.

 _Fang Fiore_ , most hated ninja outlaw of this whole fucking _era_ , would slit a low-level mother fucker's throat on a busy city street in broad daylight— _lest her enemy forget._

She stepped around a corner and shook herself out as if trying to throw off water, sealing off her anger again before it overwhelmed her.

It really wouldn't benefit her to lose her temper here.

Casting off her stress with some deep breaths, she directed the clone with Zoro to leave him and watch over Sanji and Robin as she made a quick getaway from any spying ninja that thought to _try_ to tail her.

It was the original Fi's turn to have some time with her favorite grump. She could use the distraction.

* * *

 

_How long did that damn girl expect him to wait?_

First, Fi led him to this quiet stretch of shops and residences, shit-talking and teasing the entire time while getting herself worked up, too. Then, she'd just paused suddenly, turned to him, and very seriously asked if he'd wait for her right there for a few minutes.

He'd been so thrown off by her ' _Please, Zoro?_ ' that he just fuckin' nodded like a goon. And she _poofed_ away in that annoying cloud of smoke.

And it was just as well at first anyway, 'cause he couldn't take much more of her sharp tongue and goddamn perfect fucking blush, or he'd have to find a way to relieve himself before he did something really damn stupid and ended up with a kunai in his one good eye.

But now, Zoro felt like a total pushover as he sat under a tree on the side of the road, watching the random passerby come and go as he pretended to nap in this half-deserted part of town.

He'd been waiting for, _what_ , ten minutes? Why did he agree to this shit? _At least it was quiet_?

 _Che._ Wasn't as if he could actually get any peace with those ninja skulking around. Being unable to pin down their location was uncomfortable as hell. He'd been _tryin'_ to sense their Chi-haki-what-the-fuck- _ever_ , but they were still just right out of reach of his conscious senses. It was getting easier, like how one might vaguely catch a detail in the periphery without seeing it. He knew they were _there_ just not exactly where.

 _Hell_. Fi wasn't _better_ —since they met up on this damn island, he couldn't sense her haki at all, even when she was next to him.

Something constricted in his chest as he pictured her to his right, looking up at him with those laughing eyes despite her serious face, talkin' all sarcastic and dirty despite her quiet tone.

 _Fuck_ — _that's it, Zoro, be more pathetic._

He was _worse_ than a pathetic pushover—he was like the _shit cook_ with the way that idiot hung onto Robin and Nami and every other set of tits this side of the—

 _Goddammit_. That wasn't fair. Sanji annoyed the hell out of him, but that wasn't fair to the cook or the girls. He was just mad at himself for being something worse than twirly-brow and not even able to put a damn word to it.

And the worst part?

When she _was_ by his side, he didn't feel bad about it anymore. Lookin' at that purple-haired idiot just… It made sense again. It didn't _feel_ pathetic anymore, it felt… warranted. Enabled. Maybe even a little bit entitled to her obvious reciprocation. _Heh_ , _she'd hate that thought_.

But then…

She'd disappear again, and here he was, pining like a dumbass teenager and _waiting_.

_Fuck that._

She had two more minutes before he left to find a bar and—

His eye opened a millisecond before the soft, telltale noise confirmed her arrival and interrupted his pity-party.

_Poof._

White-gray smoke quickly cleared to reveal the very source of his irritation, all dutifully impassive but bright purple and pierced.

"You're fucking awful." He crabbed immediately, not moving to get up but eying her critically as his irritation came to a head. She looked a little tired compared to a while ago but not much worse for wear. No shuriken sticking outta her face or whatever ninja did in the secret fights she was most definitely sneakin' off to fight.

Instead of her usual fire, she just walked over and sat down by him, also leaning against the tree and looking up to the sky.

"I know." Her head rolled towards him, eyeing him regretfully. "Sorry."

His annoyance and self-loathing diffused as he peered at her doleful eyes. " _Shit_ , I didn't mean it like _that_ , idiot."

"Oh." She shrugged, still rueful as she amended. "I tried to hurry. And I'll make up for it."

In that moment, peering at her from a hand's length away on her left, Zoro decided he wasn't all that pathetic, and he should really stop feelin' sorry for himself for liking this girl a little more every day and far too much overall.

"Good." He ignored his lingering apprehension and playfully raised an eyebrow at her. "'Cause I really don't like to be made to wait."

Successfully distracted by reference to their constant, sexually-charged sparring, she huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes. "I fully resent that statement."

"I don't know why, half-pint." He grinned as he put his hands on his knees and pushed to his feet, most definitely knowing why—his specialty was making the impatient little thing _wait_.

Staring up at him dubiously, she shook her head. "I hate you."

He offered her his hand and a smirk. "I'd hope so."

Her eyes stayed on his as she took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. "And stop moping around all doe-eyed like that. It's cute and all, but it's your choice to deal with all this ninja bullshit on your own."

Fi looked surprised for only a second before a very cute and quiet laugh escaped her as they started forward, striking him like a bolt of lightning. " _Heheh._ I definitely hate you."

Zoro took off down the road to hide his fluster, only to be stopped short by yet another sharp tug, this time on the back of his coat. "Other way, seaweed."

"Obviously." He made an about-face, falling in next to her, subtly watching her features as she quietly chuckled again.

_Yeah, no more pity-party. He wasn't gonna feel bad about this._

It only took them another ten or so minutes to reach the cola merchant.

Fi talked to and paid the guy, being very careful about handing off the beri so she didn't actually have to touch him, and finally, the merchant wheeled around a big cart with a _dozen_ big barrels. She asked the merchant to put the barrels out his back door, so they could pick them up at their leisure. The man agreed easily, taking the cart that direction.

Zoro's eye bugged. "How many damn trips does that sea witch expect me to make?!"

"I'd say about six, assuming you can carry one in each arm." Fi squeezed his bicep between her fingers and thumb, not able to get her small hand even halfway around his arm. "Yikes. May be quite a few more trips than that, huh?"

He shot her a dirty look. Easy to joke when _she_ wasn't the one who had to lug these across town!

"Well," She reached for that pouch on her thigh, tucked under her long winter coat, and fished out a little black cylinder, holding it up between them. "I have to atone for making you wait, right?"

Fi ushered him around back of the shop to the cola and popped open the seal on the scroll, unravelling it about a foot and gently laying it open on the ground in front of the barrels. She stepped back, make a series of hand-signs, the variants of which he started to recognize a little more.

To his astonishment, the barrels seemed to waiver before his eyes, and with a _poof_ and billow of vapor, they disappeared! Zoro looked down, amazed to see an image of barrels in black ink on the previously blank scroll!

" _Wha…_ " He managed, clearing his throat. "For real?"

She reached down to pluck up the scroll, rolled it up, and made a one-handed gesture, a seal reappearing to close the scroll. Breaking her stoic face yet again, she gave him a small grin as she held the scroll out for him.

He started to smile, taking the small cylinder. "That easy?!"

"If you lose that, your name will be first in my bingo book. Got it?"

" _Ahaha!_ Brilliant!" _Take that, sea witch!_ She could give him all the hardest jobs now! Zoro turned to Fi with a big grin. ""Got it! Thanks!"

She shook her head, waving off his praise and looking out towards the forest's edge nearby, pink on her cheeks. "Don't thank me—I owed you for waiting, remember?"

He tucked the scroll behind his haramaki carefully, still smiling. Maybe the ninja fuckery wasn't _all_ annoying.

Glancing at her again, he found her back to the ninja mask again. She had that distracted look in her eyes again, one she had many times throughout the day when she sensed things he didn't.

It was weird, being close but on the outside, knowing but remiss. He didn't particularly like it.

"I'll save you a drink. Come find me."

Fi turned back to him, watching his eye carefully before nodding.

Instead of turning to leave, she reached into her hood and subtly pulled out that blue ribbon she always kept somewhere on her, taking care to keep her hair hidden still. "I'll be better off without _this dumb thing_ for a while, but I can't lose it." She explained as she slipped her hands up his sleeve and wrapped the thin fabric around his left forearm twice before fastening it in a snug knot. "If I lose it, _well_ , let's just _not_."

"Alright." He murmured, eyebrows pinching.

She looked up at him as she pulled her hands back out of his sleeve, trailing her fingers down his forearm and along the front and back sides of his hand, sending a warmth throughout him that had nothing to do with the pleasant ebb of chakra she also seeped into his skin—a new savor to it he hadn't expected.

"Have fun wandering." She offered.

 _Poof_.

Just like that, Zoro stood alone again.

He interlaced his fingers behind his head and looked out over the street to where the town gave way to forest, contemplating the ribbon tied a little too tight on his arm and the way the space around him felt without her.

_And just like that…_

Shit.

* * *

As she silently made her way southeast through the wintry forest, the original Fi instructed one of her clones watching the Bane ninja to instead go keep tabs on those Raze bastards but _leave the marimo alone_.

While he was in good spirits after she apologized for asking him to wait, there was a note of unease about the man, similar to whatever grayed his Chi that morning. She'd been monopolizing the man's time lately, and on the Sunny, no one really got much time to themselves at any rate. He probably needed some space.

And maybe she needed space too, because— _if she was being honest_ —it had felt oddly difficult to leave Zoro in that moment, which made her uncomfortable. Her draw to him was novel and certainly not something she understood well.

And anyway, she needed to interfere at the southern tip of the island. Fi shook her head a little, reminding herself of her present task.

Franky made it back to the docks with the dongle and was repairing the Sunny while Brook continued to keep watch for any threats, calming sipping his tea as he sat at the bench along the center mast.

Neither Straw Hat noticed the two ninja from the Bane clan who slowly angled towards their ship while pretending to be concerned with other matters on the dock. It wasn't Franky or Brook's fault. Bane were especially apt at stealth. The ninja probably thought Fi was holed up on the ship somewhere out of sight and suppressing her chakra signature.

However, these two ninja didn't realize her clone had eyes on them before they'd even bothered to conceal themselves in the first place, when they were practically just relaxing in the bell tower before the Sunny arrived.

 _Novices._ That wasn't a mistake made by ninja with a decent amount of field experience. Definitely low-levels, probably Tier-Three.

But still, the problem with the situation was two-fold.

Fi _really_ didn't want to associate herself with the _Sunny_ , their _literal home_ , and invite trouble more than necessary to their front door.

And while it was one thing to murder an Ember punk in the market center, it was different to murder a couple of Bane whelps on the ship—on the front lawn of the pirates who ' _didn't fight with lethal intent.'_ _So_ inconvenient _._

Springing between roots and branches, Fi slowed as she neared the edge of the weird winter mangrove and double-checked her surroundings to be certain she wasn't followed. Sensing that she was definitely alone, she found a nearby trees with a convenient hollow for stashing her stuff. She quickly removed a scroll from her pouch and made the signs to unseal her wet clothes from earlier. Her black sleeveless tunic really was great for swimming—the familiar fabric, made especially for salt water, felt even softer when wet and didn't cling to her body, allowing a full range of motion.

But _goddamn_ did she hate wearing wet clothes in the cold air like this.

She stripped and stashed her winter gear and ninja pouch in a nearby tree, pulling on her wet clothes.

 _Fuck_ — _brrr!_

She liked a chill, but this was horrible! Teeth chattering almost immediately, she sprang into motion again. Her braid unwound, hair wildly whipping in the icy wind as she sprinted for the southeastern edge of the island and closed the short distance between her and the coast.

_So! Fucking! COLD!_

The space between huge tree roots grew larger and larger, eventually giving way to deeper pools of saltwater that connected to the sea.

With an internal groan of relief, she dove in head-first, no hesitation.

Her human lungs seized as she hit the frigid water, but without that damnable blue ribbon to suppress the better half of her nature, it took only a second for her to change.

Under the waves, her body transformed.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope yall enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading & commenting! Feel free to DM me, too :)


	13. Gonna Steal Her Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to make this update quick, since last chapter ended with a little cliffhanger.
> 
> Thanks a million to ni21 for betaing!! As usual, I'll encourage yall to read her RobinxZoro fic, Shoganai. You'll be glad you did- she's got her finger on the pulse of our lovely archaeologist & brusque swordsman :)

* * *

 

 

_Springing between roots and branches, Fi slowed as she neared the edge of the weird winter mangrove. Sensing that she was definitely alone, she stripped and stashed her winter gear and ninja pouch in a nearby tree, pulling on her wet clothes._

_Fuck—brrr!_

_She liked a chill, but this was horrible! Teeth chattering almost immediately, she sprang into motion again. Her braid unwound, hair wildly whipping in the icy wind as she sprinted for the southeastern edge of the island and closed the short distance between her and the coast._

_So! Fucking! COLD!_

_The space between huge tree roots grew larger and larger, eventually giving way to deeper pools of saltwater that connected to the sea._

_With an internal groan of relief, Fi dove in head-first, no hesitation._

_Her human lungs seized as she hit the frigid water, but without that damnable blue ribbon to suppress the better half of her nature, it took only a second for her to change._

_Under the waves, her body transformed._

* * *

 

The skin of her torso seemed almost spectral in the water, a few shades shy of translucent. And though it was innervated with the same temperature-sensing nerve cells as the skin of any other mammal, the water started to feel refreshing rather than icy.

Her species had evolved in the deep dark—Fi was built for brisk seas.

Thin, pinkish slits formed in slants along the skin above her third, fourth and fifth ribs, allowing her to diffuse oxygen from the water. Pale skin merged with sleek, midnight-violet fin flesh at the small of her back and around her waist, running along the flare of her hip bones and dipping forward with its groves to form a low V under her pierced navel.

_So much better!_

With a flick of her dark tailfin, she shot through the water with all the speed known to her kind, following the seafloor down as she left land behind and angled southward towards the docks.

The sounds of life underwater hushed as sea creatures of every size and type fled or hid with instinctual fear—a predator of the abyss was more solitary than a rogue ninja.

Short spines formed from behind her ears and were connected by a thin, dark purple webbing. The tiny fins further enabled her superior hearing and helped her hunt by sound. The ultrasensitive nares lining her nostrils and tongue heightened her keen sense of smell, letting her detect even the slightest chemical changes in the water. A highly developed lateral line system running the sides of her tailfin allowed her to sense vibrations and electric fields in the water.

She navigated and hunted with flawless, deadly faculty.

In the black voids and chasms of the deep, bioluminescence lured prey to her. Opalescent marks, silvery and milky, dotted her forehead and cut lines across her cheeks, streaking and patching places around her shoulders, ribs, and along her tailfin. Her markings only illuminated if she so chose—the advantage of sentience and chakra control.

Her teeth, though still small, were pointed and pearly white, just like her claws—no need for kunai under the water.

Even her long, narrow tail was weaponized with a variety of sharp fins, all an iridescent dark purple. A line of short, spikey fins ran the length of her backside from her lower back to her caudal fin, which looked like a wavy, diamond-shaped spear with the way it flared out in a flourish then tapered to a point, the webbing and spines dangerous as they seemed. Microsized, razor-sharp finlets, arranged in little rows of four and five, studded her tail here and there like miniature sections of tiny, serrated knife. All the better with which to grip her prey when she got her tail around them.

Fi quickly made her way underwater toward the Sunny, her shoulder twinging uncomfortably.  _Damn._  Injuries, small or big, only healed in the form in which they were incurred.

If she was injured in this form, it had to heal in the water. And if she got wounded as a full human, as had happened with her shoulder injury, she had to heal on dry land. As much as that blue ribbon irritated her with the way it kept some of her,  _ah,_ revealing features suppressed while she was on land, it also enabled her wounds to heal faster by making it easier for her to passively maintain her all-human form.

Her clone monitoring the Bane ninja grew antsy—the enemy was making a move, but there wasn't a good way for her clone to approach the Sunny without ninja eyes seeing.

But maybe…

Bane fought with stealth and raw strength to surprise and overpower their opponents. Their clan's style, Uykamkuk, required great durability and balance, making users seem like veritable mountains. Bane were known for defeating opponents with choke holds and throws,  _but..._

Franky was obscenely resilient, and Brook was wily, both of which would make it hard for Bane to succeed immediately. And if anything went wrong, she should have time to stop the ninja before the Straw Hats truly got hurt—they were exceptionally difficult to kill due to their unusual bodies.  _Hell_ —could brook even  _die?_  Luffy had knocked his  _head_  off the other day, for shit's sake.

_Should she let it happen?_

It would seem only normal to any spying ninja that the two defend their property. And if she didn't show up to help them, wouldn't that further her cause of distancing herself from the Straw Hats?

Fi also thought of Sanji, kicking that ninja through brick walls like it was nothing.  _Could these two handle it by themselves as well?_

 _Fine._  She'd intervene only if necessary.

Fi stilled underwater, watching through the eyes of her clone, hovering a short way from the Sunny, tense as hell, totally ill at ease with the idea of— _shit, too late to change her mind!_

_There they go!_

The Bane ninja leapt onto the lawn deck, appearing right before a startled Franky. " _THEFU_ — _!_ "

The two ninja leapt at Franky head-on, lining up one of their clan's well-known, deadly two-man takedowns.

_No!_

Fi began to transform back to human form, planning to substitute herself onto the deck in Franky's place so she could thwart—

_BLAM!_

A single boom echoed through Fi's skull as Franky  _blasted_  the ninja off the ship with a literal cannon from his chest, hurling them backwards and out over the sea!

_Beautiful, Franky!_

"Ouch." Brook commented idly and took a sip of his tea, not moving from his seat near the center mast. "Hope they weren't anvils,  _yohohoho_."

" _OOWWWW!_  I nearly pooped myself!  _SUUPER_  startling!" The cyborg complained, animated and clutching at his broad, metal chest. "What the  _shit_?! Where'd they come from? Two grown men sneaking around like that—I'm embarrassed  _for_  them!"

 _Oh-hoho!_   _These damn pirates!_

The two Bane splashed into the sea just a short distance from her, sinking slowly. They didn't look fatally injured, but the shell had obviously dazed them.

_Perfect._

With an excited flick of her tail, Fi darted toward the two men before they could recover enough to perform any jutsus and escape.

_Time to let loose!_

Sensing the ominous approach of a predator, they struggled to blink their eyes open against the salt water. She disarmed them faster than they could even  _think_  to counter. Underwater like this, their movements were virtually slow motion.

As she pulled them downward, she bit a few fingers off each of their hands to prevent hand-signs, chomping on the severed digits all open-mouthed and unnecessarily obnoxious, just to freak them out a little extra.

 _Sure_ , she  _could_  have killed them first. She didn't. Both men were conscious, probably due to pain and adrenaline, flailing for their lives.

With an ankle in each hand, she dragged both men along the seafloor, steadily moving into deeper water farther from shore.

_Time for a little fun!_

Fi glanced back at them, grinning with all her teeth at the way they thrashed and panicked in desperation.

_What nice expressions for Bane ninja!_

* * *

 

" _Hey Sailor._ "

Zoro raised the rocks glass to his lips and sipped, barely sparing her a glance and not bothering to respond. She'd talk enough for the both of them—they always did.

The slinky blonde slid onto the barstool to his left. "Betcha hear that one a lot, huh _?_ "

_Sip._

She tilted her head towards him, trying to catch his eye, voice dropped suggestively. "You shouldn't look so lonely sitting here all by yourself."

_Sip._

"An outlaw like you looks like a lot of fun for a nice girl like me…"

 _Sip_.

"Bet you're hiding another impressive sword in your pants, right?"

… _Sip._

"How 'bout it? Wanna feel good together for a while?"

Finally, he turned his head to her, taking in her details. She was busty with nice, long legs that would probably feel like silk wrapped around his waist. Her face was young and unlined, expression lifted with vague hope now that he was blatantly checking her out.

A few weeks ago, he'd have let it happen. It'd been a while since his last, and even with the annoying cajoling, she was appealing.

"I don't live far from here." She bargained, lips turning up seductively. "Whatcha say?"

He would have let it happen even though she'd have been too eager to please, probably a little too mousy, and not remotely depraved enough for his tastes. But her slender body looked supple and warm. Those big, green eyes made up for the bad pick-up lines, and at least she was bold enough to try those lines at all. Her silky blond hair was long just like he liked it and begging to be wrapped around his fist and pulled until she moaned. With enough of the right attention in the right places, he would have dragged a little rawness out of her beautiful body. He'd have left her a sore and sleepy but smiling and satisfied.

_But now?_

He didn't want to be horrible to her, but  _hell_ , she was the second one that damn hour, and they tended to be  _persistent_  if he wasn't firm. Setting down his rum, he rotated on his stool and turned fully to her, gripping her small thighs in each hand too hard to be friendly. Leaning in, he met her eye, annunciating quietly but sharply so she couldn't mistake his threat.

" _Get. Lost._ "

The sting of rejection and some healthy fear flashed in the girl's nice eyes as he released her, but she popped off the stool with some muttered insult about the size of his  _'sword'_  and marched away all the same.  _Good riddance_.

He turned forward and reached for his glass but whiffed empty air, and in the same moment, processed that the previously empty stool to his right was now occupied.

She raised his drink to her tempting pink lips.

_Sip._

Fi lowered the glass and stared straight forward, stoic and silent. No greeting. Definitely no tired pick-up lines. No haki to give her away. No stray wisps of purple. No snark. Just that black hood, the glint of metal on her nose and ears, and the bad attitude she almost always exuded.

_Sip._

Her tongue swept across her bottom lip to catch a stray drop of rum, causing heat to stir below his belt.  _Fuck, the purring blonde didn't do it for him, but…_

She raised his glass to her mouth again, but this time, he noticed the way her hand trembled a little. She was shaking? No— _shivering._

 _Sip_ …  _sip… gulp. S_ he finished the entire contents in several pulls, setting down an empty glass.

A bead of water rolled down her neck from underneath her cowl, which he realized was darkened. Her no-touch policy was in full force, but he'd found himself an exception to it all afternoon and hoped for the same now.

Zoro turned to her as he reached out and pushed his hand into her hood. She only eyed him, not tensing or pulling away or even stabbing him, which was a good sign overall. He roughly combed his fingers through her wet, knotted hair and down the back of her head, confirming his suspicions.

Shaking his head, he buried his fingers further into her tangles to feel the soft but icy skin of her damp neck, hand lingering there, holding her gaze as usual. "Casual arctic swim?"

There was a little flash of excitement in her gem eyes. "Yup."

"You  _want_  hypothermia if you're jumpin' into that sea." He grouched.

She mimicked him, scowling back and closing her left eye in imitation. "Being in the water isn't the problem. It's the getting out part."

" _Che._ " He retracted his hand and twisted his body a little further to pull his thick coat from his chair back, tossing it around her small frame without a thought.

Her eyes went a little wide, indifferent ninja-mask slipping as she looked up at him with an uncharacteristically demure expression. She pulled his coat more completely around her frame, still giving him those big eyes and settling into it in a way that made his whole damn body warm and achy.

It was categorically painful to realize they  _both_  liked it.  _Fuck_.

He grabbed the nearby bottle of booze he'd bought, poured another glassful, and pulled a long drink. He  _hated_ sharing his alcohol.  _Hated it_. He'd swear that on his life. So,  _why?_  Why did she override all his good fuckin' sense?  _Goddammit._

"S'a problem if it means you're gonna drink all my booze." He sat the glass in front of her in invitation despite that she'd already had the drink he'd promised her.

She reached forward and raised his drink to her mouth again, his eye following her movements as her lips parted around the rim of the glass and her throat moved as she swallowed. His cock twitched, blood pumping harder. Would it be too obvious if he got her a straw? He wanted to see her cheeks make that hollowed-out shape like if she was—

"What's this—bottle two or three?" Fi set the glass down between them again.

" _Oi._  I'm still on my first." He frowned at her assumption.

Rolling her eyes, she reached over and pulled his left arm towards her, reaching up his sleeve to untie her ribbon. She subtly slipped the blue fabric under her hood and fastened it in her hair as she spoke matter-of-factly. "I was counting the one from this morning."

"Oh." He scratched as his head, trying to ignore his boner by taking another drink. "That was too early in the day to count."

"What is it with swordsman and alcohol?" She muttered distractedly, sitting up and grabbing a crumpled napkin off the bar-top. She subtly slipped it into the neck of her coat and over her left shoulder, presumably drying her sutures.

It reminded him that he should try to get a look at her injury. Chopper had requested he give it a once-over if she overdid it and then remind her to be careful. Zoro had refused on principle of course—he wasn't anyone's keeper,  _dammit_ —but the kid had just rolled his eyes and walked away, knowing he'd do it all the same.

"How'd that happen anyway?" He tipped his head to indicate her shoulder then took another sip of booze.

"Big ol' shark fishman bit me."

He half-coughed on rum and half-cleared his throat, setting his glass down. "—the _fuck?!_ "

She shrugged but sounded affronted, like it should have been completely self-evident. "He's dead now."

"Goddammit, that's not—but  _how_ —I mean, what kinda—" He shook his head and raised his hands in front of himself briefly, dismissing it in an attempt to lower this second albeit nonsexual spike in blood pressure. "Never mind, I don't care." He stood, barstool scraping across the floor as it slid backwards, tone chiding as he scowled at her. "You're scary, ya know that?"

Her head tilted in that familiar manner of hers as she fought a smile, a slight pink high on her cheekbones and low-key delighted. " _Thank you_."

" _It wasn't a compliment!_ " He hissed, glaring at her as he grabbed the bottle of rum.

Zoro stepped away from the bar and dragged her with him toward the back of the building, snagging her by the collar of his own damn coat that was still around her. She looked so fucking cute in the oversized garment that it worked his last goddamn nerve.

"A monster called me scary." She found her footing too gracefully and fell into step with him. " _Felt_  like a compliment."

He pushed the bathroom door open and stepped aside, gesturing for her to go ahead, tone scathing. " _After you, shark bait_."

"You could have just told me you wanted some privacy." She strut by, chin in the air with yet another queenly side-eye. "I'd have come willingly."

"You're impossible!" He snapped as he stepped into the small bathroom behind her and pulled the door shut, locking it.

"I shouldn't take that as a compliment either, huh?"

Not dignifying that with a response, he maintained his constant glare and took a few swigs of rum from the bottle before setting it on the ledge of the nearby sink. He needed another bottle or  _ten_. That's a sign, idiot— _walk away, Zoro_.

Without preamble, he swept his hands under the thick material draped over her shoulders and pushed his coat off her frame, letting it drop to the floor behind her. He dropped his eye to her chest and started unbuttoning the first row of brass buttons on her black coat, grumpy and horny and  _muddled_. There's  _no_  reason,  _not one single fucking reason_  he should be surprised by the cause of her injury, and yet…  _Ugh!_ This little idiot stressed him the  _hell_  out, even worse than the rest of the crew, and that was really sayin' somethin'! He shouldn't  _walk_  away. He should fuckin' _run._

" _Wha…_ " The pink on her cheeks deepened as he tugged at the second row of buttons.  _Why were there so many damn buttons?!_  "If we're not going to fool around, then what the hell are you  _doing_?"

"You couldn't possibly think that…" Finding her eyes, he could tell she very much thought this was going to go differently. " _Fuck_ , Fi—" He gestured around the grimy,  _smelly_  bathroom with his head as his fingers worked the final buttons open. " _Here?_ "

The rosy color on her face was alluring and her unapologetic, obstinate expression was infuriatingly charming, so he ignored both and yanked her clothes to the side to reveal her left shoulder, dragging his eye down to it.

Stitches weren't ripped or too much worse for wear, and the bruising was fading, but her overall injury was an angry shade of red. He laid the back of his fingers against it, finding it burning hot. He glowered at her again and shook his head, tugging her clothes back into place to cover her skin, for  _sanity's_  sake, if it were even fuckin' possible anymore.

"Gettin' aggravated and half infected, dumbass." Chopper would skin the both of 'em if it got much worse. "Kid's gonna kill ya."

"He  _said_  swims were fine." She defended.

Zoro truly didn't understand this woman, and he hated how much he liked that fact. "Why the fuck were you in the goddamn ocean?"

There was something eerily foreboding about the spark in her eyes. "I was feeding a local orca pod some ninja meat."

The pause stretched on as he blinked at her, realizing he wasn't going to get a less absurd answer. He had no reaction to something that  _insane_  except to be further lured into her madness.  _Why was he like this?!_

"I'd have eaten them myself, but Sanji keeps me so well-fed." She offered, as if it somehow clarified the whole thing.

"You're not scary, Fi." He genuinely wasn't sure if she was joking or not, which should really _not_  be a positive thing. "You're fuckin' terrifying."

Her wicked lips slowly curved up into a knowing smile. "Well, you aren't exactly turned  _off_ by that, are you?"

He didn't even bother to defend himself.

He  _most definitely_  should run away right this instant.

 _Run away, Zoro_.

Grabbing her face between his hands impulsively, he bent forward and roughly pulled her mouth to his. Finally— _finally_.

She gasped, clutching at his hands as if she'd pull them away, but then a needy noise escaped her and she fucking  _bloomed_  for him, tilting her head and parting her lips, breathing into him her pent-up hunger. Their open kiss detonated the tension between them, burning and  _demanding_. Her tongue met his, just as aggressive, testing him, daring him like always. He bit into her bottom lip with a growl, unforgiving and undaunted, dragging his teeth across her soft skin, loving her throaty hum and ascending when she  _retaliated_ , digging her nails into the backs of his hands. She tasted like rum and sea salt and blood and he was  _sunk._

He pulled away from her unrestrained mouth and held her back as he stood straight again, heart hammering and panting, peering down into her dewy eyes as she stared up, blazing and defiant and wanting. One blistering kiss with the girl running on nitroglycerin was all it took to push him over the edge of madness to goddamn incarnation.

Zoro abruptly released her and turned on his heel, grabbing his booze off the sink and unlocking the door. "Are you comin' or what?" He left the room, not looking back as he spoke, his rasp indicating  _exactly_  how he fuckin' felt. "Those damn ninja waitin' outside are drivin' me crazy, and I'm suddenly itchin' to cut somethin'."

"Wha…  _What?!_ "

That high timbre of aftershock and surprise suited her  _perfectly_.

Not waiting up, he headed towards the back door of the tavern rather than the bar. "Well? Come on—they aren't gettin' dead by themselves. S'your job."

" _Wait!_ " She called out. "Zoro,  _no!_ "

He smirked as he strode forward. Zoro, _yes._

Her tone turned threatening. "Zoro, don't you  _dare_  open that—"

_Oh, Zoro dared._

He drew Shusui with his left hand as he spartan-kicked the door wide open, deflecting four shuriken as the door banged against the side of the brick building.

"I'm tired of you annoying weirdasses creepin' around!" He hollered, gaze trailing along the forest's edge across the road and trying to catch some movement as he stepped outside into the cold air of the abandoned backstreet. He could  _feel_  those assholes lurkin' over there, in the shadows of the trees. He still didn't sense them in a defined way, but it was getting clearer. "Get out here and fight me, you spineless shits!"

Fi was instantly on his right, two kunai in each hand, crouched slightly and ready for action, eyes trained on a spot across the road.

Zoro took the tense silence as an opportunity to vent some more. "No nappin'. No relaxin' with my booze. No peace! I definitely, full ass,  _hate_  ninja."

He tipped the bottle up and gulped down the rest of his rum in several big mouthfuls. Wiping his hand across the back of his mouth, he turned and lobbed the empty bottle into a nearby dumpster, letting Fi deflect the kunai one of the hidden ninja threw at his body.

" _Stop fucking around._ " She scolded, keeping her eyes on the forest. "Use the dull side of your sword even once, and I'll slowly kill you with its sharp edge."

"And  _you!_ " He turned to her, arrogantly deflecting three more shuriken with Shusui while his eye was trained on Fi. He firmly pressed one finger into her injured shoulder until she pulled back.

"Ow! _"_ She gripped, gaze cutting to him finally. " _What?_ "

" _I told you not to misjudge me!_ "

Not waiting for a response, he simultaneously drew his cursed Kitetsu with his right hand as he twisted himself, spinning over his right shoulder while arching his swords around in a tight circle with ferocious might. The very air yielded, compressing into electric blue, razor-sharp edges that flew forth from his blades.

Trees across the road exploded into splinters as his flying slashes hit, forcing the two ninja to leap away and reveal themselves.

He charged after them without pause, slicing diagonally with Shusui and cutting Sandai horizontally, deadly projectiles proceeding him. Wood splinters whipped around in the vortex created in his wake while the sure-footed ninja dodged. Their speed was impressive,  _heh,_ but nothing like his captain in second gear nor even as quick as the twirly idiot.

The ninja jumped backwards in unison but then started to separate, so Zoro leapt up and spun around himself, cutting his swords through the air at opposing angles, sending crisscross slashes out to the left and right to herd his enemies back into his direct path as he raced at them.

 _Ba-dump._  He landed among them and slashed outward at the one on his left with Shusui, throwing the strength of his whole body into it.  _Ba-dump._  Lunging low into his right foot, left foot sliding back, he continued to arc Shusui around in a circle, blocking the ninja now almost on his back.  _Ba-dump._  Sandai whistled inward to cut the same path as he spun around himself with the momentum.

 _Ba-dump_ —

He landed in a squat between the two, with his arms half-outstretched to the left and right, a ninja at the tip of each blade.

 _Zoro lived for this._  The chaotic silence between heartbeats. A glimpse of the boundary between life and death. The very site of transcendence, where he could see it all and all at once. He saw his enemies initiate knee flexion, preparing to leap away. He saw his girl power up for her kill, a surge of dense, green energy flooding her chest. He saw himself buried under that rubble, questioning his swordsmanship.  _Never again._  Now, his blades understood his will.

 _Don't blink, Fi._  His arms straightened with a sure thrust, sword tips piercing into each ninja below their sternums, and by his grace alone, only several centimeters deep.

— _Ba-dump._

Time rushed on again, and the ninja flew backwards, away from him.

To his left, Fi raced at the ninja and then leapt high, intercepting him mid-air with blinding speed, her enemy hardly having time to register it. Her green-glowing foot arced towards the ninja from the opposite direction that his body moved, the top of her boot catching the back of his head. She twisted her hips under herself and used her powerful leg as leverage to reverse the ninja's trajectory and then blast him head-first into the ground below. The impact was so violent it vibrated through the street underfoot, loosening the bricks in a wide radius and sending a howling  _whoosh_  of wind past Zoro with the release of pure power.

_Holy sh…_

_Heh, so, she showed off for him a little, too._

Zoro deflected several shuriken from the ninja on his far right as he watched Fi flip over herself once, rotating out of her aerial attack and landing in a lithe crouch near the ninja who now lacked a discernible skull.

Their eyes touched.  _Same distract-and-destroy tactic again, then_.

Both turned to the surviving enemy who didn't look remotely phased by his comrade's brutal end.  _Tch._

The ninja didn't attack and apparently knew better than to try running. His expressionless face mirrored Fi's, as did his clothes of all black. And he stared Fi down like Zoro wasn't even there halfway between the two.  _Bastard._

"Walking stereotypes." The enemy's gaze shifted to Zoro, probably hearing the menace in his tone despite his words. "You do that dumb run, too, don't you?"

The ninja's focus slid back to Fi, ignoring him! He grit his teeth, feeling like he could burst into flames.

"Don't take it personally, Zoro." Fi told him, staring down her mark. "Me and the Raze clan go way back. We have a special relationship."

"Come on, Fang." The ninja feigned cool arrogance, but his posture was that of a rabbit trapped between wolves. "Isn't it time you let go of this grudge against us? Don't you think Elder Drav would—"

Zoro didn't sense it coming, didn't even see her move until she was already past him and nearly on their enemy.

In a blur, she suddenly stood next to the guy, hand reached up to rest on his shoulder in a would-be friendly manner in another context. The taunting ninja was paralyzed with fear, his eyes widening, calm visage slipping. Her voice was quiet and tolerant, but wrath seeped from her anyway. "Now,  _now._ You're not allowed to speak that name in front of me."

Regaining himself, the ninja unfroze and leapt away from her, squaring up again but keeping his distance.

Oh, so she told  _Zoro_  not to fuck around, but when she go mad and did it, suddenly it was  _fine?_

"Come a little bit closer." She suggested to the guy.

Zoro inhaled sharply, jaw clenching as he recognized her words.  _That was the line she'd been using on him!_

That's _it!_

He charged the enemy again, hurling several flying slash attacks and  _feeling the fire_  as he engaged him head-on. The ninja's hands glowed red as his kunai clashed against his swords repeatedly. Zoro parried and countered—the guy wasn't as fast as Fi but a quick bastard all the same!

The red glow of his enemy's hands got brighter as they traded blows, which probably wasn't a great sign, and then suddenly, that red haki flew from the ninja's hands and kunai! It hit his chest, knocking him off his feet and hurling him backwards with startlingly heavy force.

Pain seized his whole torso, but Zoro kept his eye on the enemy ninja, ready to defend against a follow-up but knowing there'd be no need. He'd created an opening for her.

Small, green-glowing hands appeared from behind the guy as Fi leapt onto his back and twisted his head around until his face looked the wrong way, audibly snapping his neck with expert speed and precision.  _Eesh._

Zoro's back hit the ground, and he finally skidded to a halt. He laid there a few seconds as the pain receded surprisingly quickly, staring up at the cloudless blue sky and the puffs of vapor made by his hot breath in the cold air.

Fi was suddenly peering down at him, standing over him with a foot on either side of his ribs, expression still neutral but amethyst gaze mirthful. "Thanks for distracting them."

He smirked up at her. "My pleasure."

Her impish little half smile gave her away before the words were across her lips.

"You look good—" He halfheartedly swung Shusui, and she jumped back to avoid his blade but teased him all the same. "—on your back."

Disapproving, he levelled her a stern look as he sat up with a cough. "What happened with his power?"

"He used your haki against you. All the times you blocked and countered, he was storing power from those blows to throw back at you. A low-level like him doesn't have the capacity to siphon  _much_ , but still, it's easy to circumvent with circular movement and indirect attacks."

"Noted." Zoro got to his feet and sheathed his weapons, brushing off his robes, tone accusing. "You use more chakra just to wake me up in the mornings."

"You make good faces when I use a lot of chakra." She justified as she walked towards one of the dead ninja, the one lying in a Fi-created indent filled with blood, bone, brain, and broken bricks.

Grabbing one of his legs, she dragged him towards the side of the road, painting a dark line of blood across the ground.

As he moved to grab the other dead ninja and drag him out of the street as well, Zoro wondered which exact decisions in his twenty-four years of life aligned to put him in a timeline wherein he stole a heart-pounding kiss from a deceptively small, awfully snarky ninja girl and then helped her dispose of mangled corpses.

_Lovely._

"So, what's your grudge with 'em?"

"To make a long story short… Raze practice Sarhktao, arguably the most powerful martial art among ninja. Fang practice Nadari, the weakest." She crouched and nonchalantly stole weapons off one of the grizzly corpses as she explained. "I used to get my ass beat by Raze during inter-clan competitions back in the old days." Her arrogance was clear regardless of her words. "They placed bets on who'd kill me first."

"So now ya like twistin' their heads off." He inferred dryly, mostly unperturbed by her violent ways by now.

She briefly met his eye with a quick, single up-down of her eyebrows, totally unabashed.

Turning back to the weapons of the dead ninja, she changed the subject. "We should get out of here before the Marines get suspicious. Since, you know, someone had to prune the trees.  _Loudly_."

He smirked. "You're welcome."

She stood tall again, shoving weapons into her coat pockets when no more would fit into her ninja pouch. Her eyes cut back to him, suddenly shining with menace.  _Uh-oh_. He knew that look. It was like Nami's  _you're-on-thin-fucking-ice_  face.

"So,  _Zo~ro._ "

 _Yup. Yeah. He knew that tone, too._ He watched her wearily as she stepped closer.

"Since when-" She shoved at his shoulder for emphasis. "Can you sense-" Another push. "Concealed-"  _Push_. "Ninja?"

"Since I've been  _tryin'_ -" He unwisely met her belligerence with his own, pushing at her forehead with his index finger, making her head tip backwards briefly. "-all damn afternoon."

"And since  _when_ -"  _Push_. "Do you think-"  _Shove._  "You can attack-"

She reached forward to shove him again, but he caught her hand and held it away from him, warning seriously. "You ain't the boss of me,  _Fi~o~re._ "

At least she understood that point, not arguing it, even if she was clearly frustrated he attacked the ninja. "But you can't sense  _me_. Surely."

He shook his head but still smirked, liking the flash of uncertainty he brought to her features. "Well, 'cept that one time. Why is that, by the way?"

"Because these fry aren't a fraction the ninja I am." Her gaze narrowed suspiciously. "Except  _when?_ "

"When all that haki came from here." He reached out and poked her chest, barely above her breasts but innocent enough given her thick coat. "S'another chakra point, isn't it?"

She eyed him a moment before glancing down the street and then side stepping around him, pulling him across the road, towards the backdoor of the bar. "It is."

"And that guy's red power? A different one? Seemed like it sourced from his low back, right?"

She looked at him over her shoulder as she pushed inside the building in front of him. "Aren't you sharp."

He all but preened, feeling pretty damn good about himself and absolutely loving the dual annoyance and appreciation on her features. " _Very._ "

As they passed by the bathroom, she ducked in to retrieve his discarded coat and turned to him again, mischief returning to her features.

He took a step towards her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back into the hallway with him. "Don't even  _think_  about it."

She chucked his coat at him and testily pulled out of his grip as they made for the front of the tavern. " _Maybe you'd prefer the blonde after all._ "

The acid in her voice made him worry a little as they exited the bar. "Don't go murderin' the poor girl. She didn't know better."

Subtly lifting her chin, she strode down the street a little faster, walking ahead of him as he pulled his coat on.

_Heheh._

That idiot.

* * *

 

Robin and Chopper were browsing the science section of the surprisingly well-stocked bookstore when Fi appeared from between the bookshelves.

"Hiya, Fi! I knew I smelled you!" Chopper beamed at her.

"Hiya, kid." As usual, Chopper was able to pull a small grin from their stoic ninja.

Robin suspected this wasn't the  _real_  Fi but more likely a clone, a trick the playful troublemaker demonstrated on the Sunny quite often. Able to use clones herself, she knew the practicality and usefulness of such a tactic.

She offered the mysterious girl a warm smile. "All is well?"

"All good." Fi was to-the-point as always. "When you two see Zoro, can you get him to the ship? I'll lead him to you."

"That will be no problem." She agreed easily.

"So, tell me, Fi." Chopper's smile didn't change, but his upbeat tone carried conditional threat. "Are you taking care of your shoulder?"

"Of  _course._ "

 _Fufufu._ Robin didn't miss the involuntary inflection in Fi's voice despite her impressively swordsman-like glower. She really thought a ninja ought to be better at lying.

"That's good, 'cause if you're not, I'd have to lock you in the infirmary for the next four weeks until you're fully healed. Are we clear?"

Fi rolled her eyes. "What~ _ever_  you say, doc."

"Robin, I'll be in the animal studies section." Chopper gave her a wave and skipped away. "Fi, I'll see you in the infirmary!"

She couldn't help but giggle at the restless ninja. " _Fufu_ , will you become his prisoner?"

Fi drew air through her teeth in a quiet but worried hiss.

Her chuckling waned as she watched Fi for several beats, who observed the other patrons in the quiet, cozy store. She didn't seem overly distressed, but… "It's unlike you to hesitate with your words, miss ninja."

Her gaze snapped back to Robin. " _Ah,_ well. It's just… Zoro was… angry when I left the Sunny. And then his unease from this morning came back… I wasn't sure why, but…" She uncharacteristically chickened out, dismissing it entirely with a wave of her hand. "Sorry, Robin, I'm rambling now. Forget it."

 _Apologizing_? How unlike her. The poor thing must be right confused if she's seeking pardon. She didn't recognize the depth of Zoro's care for her, did she? But it also wasn't Robin's place to out him, was it? "Our swordsman is very protective of his own. He won't show it, but he worries."

Fi schooled her features effortlessly, but she had expressive eyes that they'd all come to understand quite clearly the past few weeks. Robin's answer hadn't struck the chord she thought it would.

"I see. Thanks." She gave her a finger wave and a quick smile. "See you soon. Take care."

Her eyes followed after Fi until she disappeared out the door of the store. Maybe Robin would encourage Zoro to be a little more explicit with their ninja. Those two didn't need a second misunderstanding like their first false impressions of each other.

She made her literature selections and found Chopper still in the animal studies aisle, intently hoofing through a thick volume. The subject of his chosen textbook was quite unusual. She raised her eyebrows delicately, mentally filing away the information.   

_Enlightening indeed._

* * *

  

The original Fi automatically grabbed Zoro's arm as he started to detour too far from her side, bringing him along as she meandered down the busy street on a roundabout route to avoid ninja, Marines, and the like.

She dropped his arm because it wasn't a good idea to be in constant contact with him while her mind insisted on replaying it again and again— _that fucking kiss._

Another spike of adrenaline shot through her as she recalled his insistent mouth on hers, carnal and completely dominating. Goosebumps broke out across her skin under her coat, nipples tightening against the scratchy fabric of her shirt.

 _A demon in human skin_.

The rumor was fucking accurate in more ways than one. And knowing the man kissed like he fought was going to keep her awake at night.

_Ah, hell._

She wanted to be mad that he'd engage the Raze ninja against her word, but the man did whatever the hell he wanted, and she really  _didn't_  presume to boss someone like him around. Plus, there was no mistake that he could have killed those two with ease—a point he had proven unequivocally while wearing a handsomely dangerous smirk.

A sharp heat panged and throbbed between her legs as she pictured him with two ninja on the tip of each sword. Seeing him move like that was as erotic as it was threatening, the perfect metaphor for his tongue crossing her lips.

_Mmmhh._

She reminded herself  _not_  to reach down and touch herself in public.

Hormones notwithstanding, as she walked down the street with the marimo, she found herself enjoying the task of slowly leading him through town.

Sure, the nearness of the crowd crawled across her skin. The headache brought on by her noisy surroundings thrummed against her temples, and the aftermath of the stress of watching the Straw Hats be targeted by ninja added to the effect. The accumulating fatigue from burning chakra six different ways made her a little edgy, too. And some sort of unpleasant come-down probably awaited her at the end of the day.

But even considering all that,  _Fi felt okay._

Maybe it was because there were no longer any ninja stalking the Straw Hats. The ones lingering in the shadows continued to do just that. No one powerful showed up. No pirates got hurt. Dare she think it, but…  _perhaps some good luck?_  And while her clone's conversation with the discerning Robin wasn't exactly uplifting, the woman was genuinely kind to entertain her inane rambling.

Maybe it was the dual relief of a little bloodletting and being able to transform and  _swim_  again that helped Fi feel  _okay_.

Or, just maybe, it was the fun time spent with her wandering swordsman. Except when that curvy blonde hit on him, whose lecherous blood stayed inside her horribly perky body  _only_  because Fi had more pressing matters on hand.  _Ugh._

 _Otherwise,_  there was definite reprieve at his side. People in the crowd automatically stepped aside for the man carrying three swords and silent threat, so standing close to him meant avoiding strangers.

That he was increasingly tactile with her and  _she couldn't get enough of it_  was incredibly gratifying for a few reasons.

And his genuine lack of orientation—such a spectacular perversion of nature it seemed to mock the very concept of navigation—turned out to be  _ridiculously cute_. Though other ninja couldn't manage it, Fi tracked him effortlessly by the things she already liked about him, from his heavy boot-steps and shock of green hair to his metal scent and boozy sweat.

But when  _he_  lost track of  _her_  and glanced around, one hand scratching at his head and the other resting on his swords, she could positively kill the man for making  _lost_ look so damn adorable.

He had stepped away from her for just a minute, and she'd let him stray simply to enjoy that very adorableness, when two Marines appeared farther up the street. They watched Zoro very closely and discretely headed his way.

As much as she wanted to see him in action again, it was probably best to just avoid them. The Sunny was to depart shortly, and she was steering him in the direction of Robin and Chopper.

Fi quickly caught back up with the drifting swordsman and grabbed his hand, pulling him close behind her and hastening their progress. She  _completely_  ignored the way his grip tightened around her hand without hesitation, radiating faith from his palm into hers.

The Marines sped up, too.

Fi took a sharp left, crossing the flow of foot traffic to turn down a side-street, getting out of their line of sight a minute and quickly turning left again into the first alley the crossed.

"Why are you—"

She turned and covered his mouth as she walked forward into him, pushing him backwards into a very narrow gap between two buildings, wedging herself into the nonexistent space between him and the brick.

Just as they disappeared into the shadow, the two Marines stopped at the mouth of the alley, hardly a few steps around the corner from them!

"I saw him come down this street, I know it." One Marine whispered. "It was the definitely the Pirate Hunter."

Zoro peered down at her with a dark eye, their height difference exaggerated in the wonderfully compromising position. She wasn't even shoulder height next to him, but at least she had a striking view. Thank the seas Zoro left his coat open, rugged caramel skin and meaty pecs exposed underneath his parted robe. She dragged her gaze back up to his face, shameless.  _Who could blame her?_

The Marine's compatriot agreed. "We must have spooked him. Looked like one of the female Straw Hats was with him, too. They docked just recently. Any ideas?"

The two soldiers continued their whispered conversation.

_Well, nowhere to go until they moved on._

Fi sensed an opportunity.

In his endeavor to push her buttons, Zoro had given her a few theories about his.  _Time to test them._ And also:  _payback_. For taking her by surprise with  _that fucking kiss._

She finally relaxed the hand over his mouth only to slowly trail her index finger over his smooth lips and then along his square jaw.  _Shit, she'd been wanting to do that all damn week._  His angular features were unfairly enticing.

His jaw flexed as she as she dragged the sharp edge of her fingernail oh-so-slowly down the skin above his jugular and then across the hollow at the base of his neck. She heard the Marines depart, but she didn't think Zoro noticed yet, so she flattened her hand against his bulky chest, liking the way his heart thumped harder under her palm.

Curving her fingers into him, she  _slowly_  raked her nails down his chest, eyes on his, watching the heat of pleasure play on his features. Across his scar… Down his carved abs… The fabric of his haramaki bunched as she continued lower, biting her lip when she met the top of the trail of green hair just below his navel.  _Such an mouthwatering path…_

Zoro grabbed her hand, halting her progress, but his racing pulse and growing erection pressed between them betrayed him.

Fi interlaced her fingers with his and rubbed her other hand up the vascular muscles of his arm, massaging a few small circles into his concrete shoulder before gliding her fingers up his thick neck that begged for bite marks. She threaded her fingers in the soft hair above the nape of his neck, riveted on his lustful, dilated eye.

With a knowing half-smile, she gripped his untamed locks and tugged down with generously mean force.

His low growl rumbled through her as he put a big hand on the side of her neck, pushing her even harder against the brick at her back and thoroughly thrilling her with his ridiculous strength. He ran his thumb over her lips then along the edge of her jaw and cheek, his rock-hard desire pressing against her stomach her in a way that had her resisting the urge to fucking climb him and wrap her legs around his hips.

Her tongue swept across her bottom lip in an unconscious way when he glanced to her mouth.  _More_. She needed to give him  _more_  than a hard-on. She wanted this to be more  _painful_  for him.  _Just for Zoro_.

Their gazes locked together again when his thumb passed over her lips a second time, smearing the moisture there. She parted her lips and caught the edge of his thumb between her sharp canines, nicking his callused flesh.

His eye widened and fell to her mouth again as the sensations finally overrode some of his control. Spurred on, she ran her tongue up the pad of his thumb to lap up the little scarlet bead, eliciting a noisy exhale from him, havoc mounting in his expression.

" _Mmm..._ "Losing herself in his nearly undone reaction, she pulled his thumb into her mouth, sucking as she swirled her tongue over his skin. His sublime, ferrous taste carried heady notes of spiced rum and feral sex.

He dragged his gaze from her mouth to her eyes, his sharp intake of breath suspiciously close to a gasp, the chaos in his stare heightening for a few wild moments and utterly taking her with him.

All too soon, he regained his sense of self, his iron will resurfacing.

Suddenly, he was practically falling sideways to get out of the tight space, dragging her into the alley, gripping her by the scruff of her coat and holding her a full arm's length away as he flagrantly adjusted himself in his pants.

He immediately hauled them out to the populated street again, cursing under his breath and shooting her the most vengeful daggers imaginable as she allowed him to tug her along, grinning in victory at his brightly flushed face. He quickly reeled her in as the crowd thickened again but put her in front of his body, forcing her walk a step or two ahead of him with a stern hand between her shoulder blades so she couldn't get too close or too far.

" _You need a fuckin' time out._ "

She looked back over her shoulder, practically beaming at him by her standards, completely proud of his rough tone. Her theories were spot on. " _That's a good look for you._ "

He growled, recognizing the words as the exact ones he'd thrown at her earlier, giving her a hostile look that promised divine retribution.

_Hell yes._

* * *

 

That bratty fuckin' ninja was gonna be his goddamn demise, he just didn't know by what method—murder or boner.

Kunai or sex.

Fuckin'…  _both._

At the same time.

Whatever was bloodiest.

He couldn't stop thinking about it—the sweetest sting of her nip, the slick heat of her soft tongue sliding against his thumb… Her big gem eyes lookin' up at him as her  _evil_ , pouty lips wrapped around him and  _fuckin'_   _suck_ —

_Get a grip, Zoro!_

_Fuck_ , the girl made his dick swell  _so_  hard he thought he'd either transcend or black the fuck out. He would  _not_  forget this nor  _a_   _single moment_  of her glorious fuckin' torture. Payback would be tenfold.

The little devil was going to  _completely fuckin'_   _unravel_ for him.

He was going to sink his sins into her painfully slow and make her  _wait_  until she all but  _begged_  him to put her out of her misery.  _Then he'd make her wait some more._  And when he finally gave into what they both craved, he'd slow-fuck her all the way to hell, until she lost her goddamn  _mind_ , until her reality was nothing but him and his cock buried so fuckin' deep inside—

_Fuck! Stop thinkin' 'bout it!_

It took him quite a few more minutes to come  _down_  from her troublesome affection.

But finally, when Fi again looked over her shoulder with that spark of revel in her eye, he was able to frown at her without the blood draining from his brain to his dick. And when she briefly paused to let a stranger pass in front of her, he at last stepped up to her left side, walking next to her more normally.

He was further distracted by an overheard conversation between some random people in the crowd nearby.

"...Can't believe they're developing the eastern edge of town, where all the criminals gather at those sleazy bars." An older man complained. "I heard 'em working just a while ago, cutting down trees. The noise is gonna be damn constant!"

"Hell! Did ya hear about the workers who died already?" The younger man gossiped. "Apparently one guy busted his brains all over the ground, and the other broke his neck!"

" _Good lord!_ When will they address these unsafe working conditions? If it were me, I'd organize…" The old guy started, but the pair was out of earshot again.

Zoro looked down at Fi, silently communicating his dislike.

"Oh, don't pout at me like that. At least they weren't actually workers."

" _Not_  the point." He muttered, not appeased.

Only a few more minutes passed before he sensed her shift in demeanor. He slung his arm around her shoulder and leaned down a little so he could draw her close enough to talk privately while they moved forward.

"What now, purple? We gotta go, ya know."

Her eyes scanned the crowd again before turning up to him. "Robin and Chopper will take you to the ship, seaweed."

He made a face and righted his posture but didn't pull his arm away for  _reasons_  he refused to identify, mumbling. "How should I know where those idiots are?"

Fi navigated them down yet another street in the unending, shifting maze of the busy town and then to the edge of the crowd, stopping and turning toward him. He didn't remove his arm but simply let it rest on her shoulder as he peered down at her.

She reached up to pinch one of his cheeks, tugging his skin away from his bones. 'I'll meet you on the Sunny soon. Promise."

" _Che._ " He tilted his head away and yanked his cheek away from her pinch. Gripping her shoulder and grabbing her chin so she couldn't try any funny business, he angled her face as he bent down, pressing a firm, lingering kiss into her high cheekbone.  _To tease her, of course,_ since her dazed look the first time he did it was so damn satisfying. He spoke close to her ear. "Don't come cryin' to me if you freeze to death, horrible ninja."

He straightened and dropped his hands, pleased to see her once again alight and ensnared.  _Damn right._

She stepped back towards a shadowed alley. "Don't act like you won't warm me up tonight, shit pirate."

Eyes locked, silent concessions passed between them. They were getting real close to one another real fast. The obsession was mutual.

And they were absolutely going to be excessive equals.

Fi turned over her shoulder and disappeared between two buildings. A few seconds later, Zoro detected the barely audible  _poof_. He turned toward the street again, scratching at the back of his head.  _Now, where the fuck had the docks move—_

"Zoro! Hey, Zorooo!"

His head snapped in the direction of the high-pitched voice, seeing Chopper in Walk Point and trotting towards him happily, followed by a serene Robin.

Shaking his head, he huffed.  _That goddamn chakra witch_. He may have been giving the impatient ninja a run for her money, but she had a knack for making him feel totally at her whim.

"There you are, Zoro!" The kid chirped enthusiastically. "Time to return home to the Sunny!"

Call it his Straw Hat sixth sense, but he instinctively just  _disapproved_  of the two as they caught up with him. "Yeah,  _yeah._  M'headin' there now."

" _Fufu_ , are you now?" The smart-aleck giggled but moved on before he could bitch. "Come. Let's stay sharp. I believe the Marines have started advancing."

The three walked together, Chopper idly head-butting him back into place when he drifted towards an alternative route, ignoring Zoro's indignant protest that it was a shortcut. Chopper and Robin shared a  _look_ , but before he could really defend his idea, there was a sudden crashing noise from out of sight shortly followed yelling. Then a lot more yelling.

"Sounds like it's coming from the southern part of the main market." Chopper observed.

"All the food stalls were lined up on the south side." Robin recalled.

The three Straw Hats said the same thing in unconcerned unison.

"Luffy."

* * *

 

After leaving Zoro, Fi made her way back to the cathedral tower again, directing all her clones to stay hidden but remain vigilant until the crew safely shoved off.

As she took a breather before the next event, an uncharacteristic giddiness pulled at her mood despite her sharpening fatigue and throbbing headache.

Zoro's attention was addicting and felt acutely  _possessive_ , too, with all the pushing, pulling, and manhandling. She rubbed her thighs together, trying to smother the tingle.  _Mmh._  Not only did the man ruin her panties, but… Another kiss on the cheek?

Yeah, that jerk knew  _exactly_  what he was doing to her.

Needing a distraction, Fi hopped up to deal with the impressive stack of ninja tools lying nearby. Her clones had been stealing all the weapons off the dead ninja and depositing them in this room.  _Probably close to fifty kunai and maybe a hundred shuriken!_ She sealed them all in a small scroll, so she could transport them, already considering highly accessible but Luffy-proof hiding spots around the Sunny where she could stash them.

Turning her gaze out the window and to the docks, she saw Robin, Chopper, and Zoro find the ship with relative ease _—_ well, given that Chopper very literally prodded Zoro in the right direction _—_ and join Franky and Brook in preparing for launch.

And after a few short minutes, the five looked to be  _enjoying_ themselves as they protected the ship from Marine invasion. The Zoro-Chopper team gave her flutters of another, fully embarrassing kind as the duo worked together to thwart soldiers.  _So fucking cute._

Through the eyes of her clones, she found the other Straw Hats doing what they did best, too.

Luffy and Usopp wreaked havoc on a street lined with food carts, shoving handfuls of grub in their faces while dodging Marines with what could only be described as some sort of…  _glutton's finesse?_  They ran the soldiers in circles, Luffy guffawing and stretching his limbs everywhere, Usopp laughing and partaking but also helpfully shuffling them in the direction of the docks while smoke bombing the Marines and sowing confusion.

 _Heh_.

Surprisingly— _well, no, not really, honestly_ —Sanji and Nami hightailed it through the center of town, both weighed down by several dozen shopping bags and totally jovial! A Marine nearly got a hold of Nami, but Sanji kicked him through a building, not missing a step. And as the navigator gave the cook a cheery smile of thanks, out of  _nowhere_  a huge bolt of lightning struck all the soldiers behind the two, illuminating her expression in the  _creepiest_  way. Dozens of Marines fell over, charred and unconscious.  _Yikes._

It only took another few minutes before the four brought more trouble with them to the docks, coming in hot at an absolute and actual scream.

The Sunny hovered a short distance from the main pier, the five crew already aboard still defending against Marine artillery. Luffy, reminding Fi every bit of a mad-cackling dolphin, stretched his arms around his three crew and  _bounced_  them head-first onto the lawn deck!

Fi grinned as the Sunny swept out to sea.  _These pirates knew how to sail by the seat of their pants!_

With internal thanks to her clones, she directed them to disperse so her split power would return to her.  _Or what was left of it_ , since chakra drained like any kind of energy, and she'd been using up a  _whole_  lot of it that day with so many corporeal clones.

With varying degree of offense, they made the appropriate hand-sign to release the chakra within them and then blinked out of existence.

A wave of nausea rolled over her, a side effect of a sudden influx of power, but there was also immediate relief from the overstimulation of five additional sets of senses.

 _Ugh._  Her chakra wasn't  _low_ , but it wasn't  _high_  either. Somewhere in the middle. It was plenty enough  _primary_  power to finish out the day, since her opponents were only low or mid-Tier. But it was still uncomfortable. There were certain Fang jutsus and Nadari specialties that would totally deplete the remaining half of her everyday chakra. While there wasn't cause for such high-powered attacks, she should exercise restraint during this last match and end it quickly.

 _Right, back to business_. A few more ninja needed to die.

Fi left the cathedral, casually strolling east, arms swinging lightly as she considered the prospects of one more round of bloodletting, followed by a cleansing swim to the Sunny, and then some relative  _peace_. With few good night's rest, her chakra would be fully recovered, too.

_And with any luck, the swordsman would keep putting his rough fucking hands all over her._

The idea made her tingly, but she'd save her vivid imagination for later, while she was alone in her bed.

Glancing westward, she noted sunset was only an hour or so away. It'd be nice to see it from the ship. She could manage that.  _In fact,_  she bet with herself,  _she could finish this last fight in under ten minutes._

She rolled her shoulders out as she walked along.  _Left side stiff as hell_.

Ridding herself of those damn stitches would be a godsend. Maybe Zoro would help cut them out early if she promised not to tell Chopper it was him who assisted her? She dismissed the idea immediately, rolling her eyes.  _Yeah, right_. He was as bad as the doctor _._

Brick gave way to sand, and Fi turned a little more fully southeast, making for a wider stretch of hidden beach between the forest's edge and the water.

As she moved, she again touched consciousness to all seven of her chakra points, inhaling steadily and finding her inner balance as a little power from each seeped into her system. She made a few quick hand-signs in front of her chest, nullifying the advanced illusion that had completely concealed her power all afternoon.

A brief, multi-colored shimmer to the air around her, and the complex jutsu was entirely undone with basic release hand-signs.

With a sigh of relief, Fi stood in the middle of the beach all alone, letting her invisible chakra signature flare in invitation. She was excited to unleash her skills into flesh and bone without having to do so underhandedly, much preferring direct confrontation to the stealth of her afternoon activity. Plus, it was  _freeing_  to let her Chi and chakra signature show so openly. She didn't  _like_  to hide it.

It struck her, then _—_ it was almost  _always_  like that with the Straw Hats, unless she was sneaking up on someone for that why everything felt better on the Sunny?

Ah,  _those smelly pirates._

An image of Luffy crossed her mind, the kid grinning and stretching his arms and legs as a pre-match ritual before wrestling with someone.

_Why not?_

Fi leaned right, stretching her left arm over her head for several seconds, eyes closed, enjoying the relative quiet after being in the bustling city all damn day. The strongly lingering effects of her green-haired grump may still have been going to her head a little, too…

Her keen senses immediately picked up the chakra signature of several enemies approaching from the forest just inland. They silently hovered there, not showing themselves.

 _Only three ninja so far_.

She reversed the stretching motion, leaning left and putting her right arm over her head.

 _But there should be five_.

Ninja worked in teams of four. Fi had killed eleven ninja from four different teams so far. All four Ember were dead, but there should be two Raze, two Bane, and one Striker left. None would leave without taking the chance to kill her—their honor was on the line, given standing orders to kill her no matter the cost. She was the top of every ninja's bingo book And she had figured they remaining ones would eventually join up in an effort to bolster their strength after their squadmates met their ends.

She rotated to stretch out her right leg, leaning down into it same as she'd seen rubber-boy-wonder do on occasion.

_One more ninja approached from the east…_

Switching her legs, she put her left out and stretched forward into it like the other.

_Ah. There's the fifth ninja, also approaching from the east. But she's not joining up with the rest?_

No matter. All accounted for. All seemed about the level of Tier-Two Enforcers.

_Still no ninja from the Thorn clan, apparently._

At least if there were any cowardly Thorn lurking outside the town, waiting to investigate after things died down, they'd have seen the Sunny take off while her chakra signature remained on land. It should throw them off the Straw Hats for a while longer. Considering that no living soul knew about the better, wetter half of her nature, by all  _appearances_ , the Straw Hats had sailed away without her.

_Time to move things forward._

Fi stood straight again, rolling her left shoulder one more time as she quietly sang. " _Come~out, come~out, you fuck~ing trash._ "

The four hesitated only briefly, but realizing she spotted them, they appeared on the beach in a blur, surrounding her on all four sides but staying many meters away.

"Your own kind should have put you down a long time ago." The one in front of her spat, raising his kunai to point at her. "But alas, the last and still the  _worst_  of the filthy Fang."

Fi tilted her head right and left, cracking her neck.  _Bane shithead._

The words weren't anything new. Among a clan of patient, cooperative individuals, Fi was known as the bad-tempered one. From a young age, the other clans knew her as the back-talker, the troublemaker, and by far, _the worst Fang_.

She knew better than to let it piss her off.  _And yet_ … "I'm getting the impression you  _want_  to die painfully."

"You're worse than Fang filth." The cocky female Raze spoke up from her left. "You should have had the spine to die with your traitorous clan."

She felt a nerve twitch somewhere along her jaw as she steadied her temper. Not only did the Elders cast her as the villain, they wrote her as even worse than a traitor. They painted her as  _gutless._

Fi was, after all, the only living Fang.

"Consider that impression set." She glanced to the low sun, irritation coloring her tone despite her neutral expression. "Also consider yourselves lucky I don't feel like wasting much time here." The fifth ninja still lurked in the shadows of the forest. " _Get out here, Striker, or you die first._  Only fucking warning."

On some unseen signal, the two at her front and back charged her, while the two on her sides started hand-signs for jutsus.

Fi reacted without having to think it through, springing up into the air and spinning around herself once, chakra flooding her feet, arms and hands with a bright, iridescent glow in varying shades of green, blue, and yellow. Before they could touch her or or complete a jutsu, she un-pocketed and unleashed four shuriken in a circle around herself.

The four dodged in time— _finally, some Tier-Two ninja with a little kick to their speed!_

But the four shuriken were a distraction for her real attack, which was a fifth shuriken she'd let loose with speed and force so great even the air molecules were kicked around in surprise, shockwaves of condensation briefly trailing behind her bladed star.

Across the beach, at the edge of the tree line, a Striker fell from her hiding spot, blood spurting from her nearly severed neck.

Fi had imbued the shuriken with a decent amount of indigo glowing chakra, ensuring the radius of damage would be nearly enough to take her head off.

Landing on the ground again, kunai in each fist already, Fi watched the four find their feet. They circle her, assessing.

"I can't believe no one has killed this cunt yet." The male Raze spoke up from behind her, taunting. "Why don't we make a  _bet?_  A thousand beri says I hit her first. Whatcha say, Fang? Be a good little Nadari bitch and bleed for us like the old days."

"Too bad ol' Drav didn't take her with him to rot in the ground." One of the Bane sneered, glaring with hateful brown eyes. "It'll be a good day when the Nadari style is as extinct as its filthy clan. I'll take that bet, Raze, and see your thousand with another."

_These fuckers…_

"On second thought, I don't mind wasting a little time." Fi called upon all seven of her chakra points simultaneously, thickening and quickening the flow of power from each, measuredly pouring chakra into her system. A translucent, silvery aura cast softly around her body, a physical manifestation of just how far she outranked these bastards. "I could stand to blow off some steam."

The demeanor of the ninja around her shifted in kind, their chakra levels increasing as they geared up for the real fight, no longer shit-talking but suddenly solemn and focused.

Chilly, murderous intent rolled of Fi like a fog as she  _allowed_  them a few more seconds to amass their chakra and make peace with their fates. It was the end of their miserable lives, and they knew it.

They were staring down bloodthirst and hate incarnate, the mirror of a lifetime of gazes burned into her.

 _Fang Fiore_ , last vestige of her betrayed and massacred clan, would do whatever it took to see through their will _._

 _Fang Fiore_ , hellbent on retribution and revolution, would bleed out every last soul who dared put a toe between her and her goal.

A cruel grin stretched her lips in sheer anticipation of the beautiful carnage to come.

"I think I'll  _slll~it_  you all  _wiii~de_  open."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Zoro and Fi make me sweat, & they haven’t even gotten started. Jeez. (Shout-out to Fitzgerald for the influence on that kiss).
> 
> Let me know if you guessed Fi’s secret ahead of time?! Or if the little clues and language bits I've been leaving clicked into place? I know I update slowly, so maybe those small bits got lost, but that’s okay. At any rate, her details and background will start becoming clearer for our swordsman soon.
> 
> Thanks for the encouragement & fueling the fire! And to the guest reviewers who I don't respond to directly- a couple of you have mentioned Fi reading the logs, and well, yall have the idea just right haha :)
> 
> Let me know if you guys enjoyed this chapter!!


	14. Loud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, necrophilia, suicide, and a panic attack.
> 
> This is an uncensored version of the chapter posted on FFN.
> 
> If you want a censored version, you can find that on FFN under the same author and story name.
> 
> Please DM me for any info if you have questions/concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, necrophilia, suicide, and a panic attack. Please DM me for any info if you have questions/concerns. 
> 
> An update! Woot! Sorry this took a while longer than usual. Life. Yall really have to thank ni21 for getting this chapter into better shape. I was struggling, and her input was all the difference. Give her RobinxZoro fic, Shoganai, a read and a comment- more great OP content and hoo-boy some steaminess :P
> 
> I really do feel the need to repeat:
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, necrophilia, suicide, and a panic attack. This is an uncensored version of the chapter posted on FFN. If you want a censored version, you can find that on FFN under the same author and story name. Please DM me for any info if you have questions/concerns.

The crew had been standing on the lawn deck, arguing in circles for the last twenty minutes when he  _felt_ it.

Zoro's head snapped to the island still visible in the distance through the moderate snowfall. Everything fell away except her temperamental haki. It had blazed quite suddenly, looming and threatening even at a great distance. Whoever faced Fi was shit out of luck—the thing was mad as hell and singing about it.

In the circle of Straw Hats, the shit cook went silent too, eyes bouncing between him and the island a few times. Robin, of course, noticed their behavior. The others continued arguing.

"Maybe we should go lend a hand at any rate." Curly-brow jumped back into the debate.

"No, we shouldn't." Zoro's gaze remained fixed on the forested side of the mountainous land mass, brows set low in seriousness. He may have had a similar, shitty inclination, but Fi needed  _no_  protection. Plus, she probably didn't want an audience.  _Eesh._

Sanji bit on his cigarette, jaw tightening. "Only a gorilla like you would ignore a lady in need."

" _Che._ A  _lady?_ " Zoro's eye cut to the dumb blond, concern momentarily diverted by dual amusement. "In  _need?_ "

The irritated cook tapped the toe of one leathered boot against the deck in rapid succession, threatening physical reprimand, but the weather witch put her hand in front of Zoro to delay the altercation. There was a sharp edge to her voice as she cut in. "I still vote we dock again and risk the Marines. How's she supposed to find us anyway?!"

"Fi's busy, so let's give her a while and just circle the island again!" Luffy's cheerful authority rang out, unphased as usual and unsurprisingly aware of her ' _busy_ ' haki. "What's the rush?"

"The Marines will  _obviously_  try to chase us off if we stay too long. That's the rush, idiot!" Nami briefly closed her eyes as she huffed in agitation, her breath condensing in the cold air. " _Alright_ , alright! We'll circle again, but we can't keep this up forever."

Their navigator turned away from the circle in dismissal. Everyone returned to their various activities, including Zoro, who drew Wado to deflect those ugly-ass leather boots.

Their spar didn't last long, as the shithead was beckoned to the helm by Nami. Sanji flipped him the bird and strut off, while Chopper called to Zoro from across the deck, directing him to the infirmary.

He sheathed his sword and cast one more glance to the snowy island. His quiet sigh formed a big puff of vapor in the cold air. The fact that Fi was pissed gave him pause, and maybe he was worrying like a dumbass about her eventually leavin' 'em for  _good,_ but she would be back soon enough this time.

She'd promised.

Zoro strode for the doctor's office, finding the kid at his desk waiting for him. He crossed his arms and ankles as he lazed against the doorframe. "It's probably infected, but the idiot really is making an effort to be careful. Go easy on her."

Chopper tilted his head, eyes shining with innocence. "Wait… What?"

 _F-fuck._ His face grew warm as he realized his mistake. "I,  _uh_ , nothing. What do you need?"

"I wanted to warn you that you're due for a tetanus update. You'll have to take a day off from lifting weights, so pick which day, or I'll pick it for you." The little reindeer stared up at him a few beats longer. "You were talking about Fi, weren't you?"

His whole face, his ears and scalp and neck, even his shoulders and chest,  _everything_ burst into flames. " _Tomorrow. Tomorrow's fine for a shot._ "

"Okay. Tomorrow." Chopper blinked up at him, thankfully still quite oblivious—being half reindeer, the kid sometimes had trouble discerning shades of red on his darker skin. "I was planning to ask about her, but besides her shoulder, there's something else I want to know. And since you're sleeping with her, you should be able to help."

" _WHAT?!"_ Zoro bounced up to full height from where he'd slouched against the door jam, uncrossing his limbs, jaw falling open. " _What the fu_ —I'm not  _sleepin'_  with—!"  _This wasn't happening!_  He would sooner impale himself on eager Sandai than have this conversation with  _Chopper!_ Zoro absolutely refused to be the Straw Hat that gave the kids of the crew the birds-and-bees talk. He played it cool and kept calm. " _I mean y-yeah, sure!_ Since you mean literally sleepin',  _obviously,_  like unconscious _, ha ha._  Yeah.  _Then yes._ Right? Yes. Well,  _sometimes._  Just sometimes!" He held his hand up as he stemmed his word-vomit, narrowing his eye suspiciously. "How d'you know that?"

The kid looked at him like he was insane but answered. "Because your scents are strongest on each other in the mornings."

He stopped breathing, air trapped in his lungs for a moment while he unpacked that observation.  _Wow._  Okay. That raised a concern or two for future reference, but overall...  _That shit felt real nice to hear_. A most primal part of him hummed, satisfied.

Zoro cleared his throat and tried to relax his posture again. "So what about it, that we,  _ah,_  yeah…" He staved off a cringe. " _Sleep together_?"

Chopper made a curious face at Zoro's bumbling but forged ahead. "Does Fi have trouble sleeping, or does she ever outright avoid it?"

 _Okay, not much better than birds-and-bees. "_ Well…" Zoro frowned, tone dropping with his mood. Speaking behind her back made Zoro feel dirty in all the wrong ways. "I guess."

"Frequently?"

"Yup." He nodded, increasingly terse.  _Snitch._ But sleeplessness plagued this crew; a fact of life and lifestyle that they'd collectively accepted. "Not new 'round here though."

Nami's night terrors had greatly decreased over the years but paved the way for teaching the crew how to handle such occurrences. There'd been a lot of gut-wrenching screaming and angry crying in those early days sailing the East Blue.

And losing Ace really fucked Luffy up for a while. Never in his years with the idiot could Zoro have imagined sitting on the dirty floor of the men's quarters, in the middle of the night, holding his captain steady against him. Luffy sobbed gobs of snot into his shoulder, calling out for his dead big brother, that respectable guy they'd met in Alabasta all that time ago. As happy as they'd all been to reunite after their two year separation, it had also reopened wounds they hadn't had a chance to heal together.

Not a single one among them, himself included, escaped the feeling of waking up in a cold sweat or worse, fighting demons of the past. Nights on the Sunny could be as bitter as they were cheerful.

The doc nodded, expression serious. "True, but there are also notable differences when it comes to Fi's general condition."

He made a sour face, still exceedingly uncomfortable. "What's your point?"

"While we don't know the details of her past, it was clearly traumatic. We should discuss a few things that tie into that." Before Zoro could disagree, the kid insisted. "It's important _._ Trust me."

He resigned himself to it, knowing Chopper was taking this very seriously and probably he should, too. " _Fine._ "

"In addition to her sharp physical senses," he slipped into full doctor mode. "It seems to me that her nervous system doesn't automatically filter out background stimuli and processes it in much greater detail than most people."

Zoro kept up as the doc rattled off technical details with words he half understood and some he didn't understand at all, because, well, _no shit_. "She's perceptive. So _what?_ "

"Mh-hm, true." His eyes lit up with subdued enthusiasm. "It also means she reaches her tolerance of stimuli a lot faster that us. And she's probably acutely aware of the resulting internal sensations when she exceeds her limit. A simple headache to us might feel many magnitudes worse for her."

He scratched at the back of his head awkwardly, mumbling, still not feeling the topic. "Sounds like her."

"She's trained to see everything as a threat and think conditionally, but on top of that, her disposition is such that errant background thoughts are more accessible and credible. Fi probably likes Robin's morbid humor so much because those worst-case predictions help her make light of anxiety-inducing possibilities that feel more real and imminent to her," he explained. "She's obviously used to bearing the reactivity and hyper-awareness without missing a step, or in her case, a shuriken."

He understood the doctor's description, fancy medical terms aside, because he had seen some of that shit for himself. "Well, 'spose so."

"One more big thing. She's probably easily buffeted by the emotions of those around her. As a rogue ninja, she'd encounter constant hostility. The persistent antagonization and death threats likely conditioned her to react with harshness and paranoia." The kid tapped his hoof on the desk lightly. "I'd guess it's why she was so reluctant with us."

Zoro thought back to how those two enemy ninja had looked at Fi with nothing but contempt.

He recalled the time when she'd admitted to expecting the same from him.

Feeling like a roach, he forced himself to nod in vague agreement.

Chopper would be the last one to talk about her like this without reason, given his integrity as a doctor, and seeing as how the two little shits were already good buddies. Still, Zoro was compelled to affirm it out loud. "An idiot like that belongs on this damn ship."

The kid sat up, a bright smile overtaking his face. "Yup! The support and friendship of the crew will be beneficial for her!" He dismissed him with a wave of his hoof and turned back to his desk. "Just making sure you were equipped to help her through any over stimulation!" He chattered happily as he shuffled papers around. "I can see that you are!"

For a second time, he was left wondering who Chopper thought Fi and he were to one another. And for a second time, he didn't try to change his perception.

Frowning, he strode away, eager to distance himself from the guilty feeling that accompanied talking about those things without her.

Maybe all those factors had worked against her in the past and gave her  _issues_  in the present, but on the Sunny, they were invaluable traits that would goddamn thrive. 

 

* * *

  

Fi heard the Straw Hats well before the hull of the Sunny came into her line of sight from around the bend of the island, a testament to their sheer volume.

The crew were gathered in a loose circle on the lawn deck practically shouting at one another.  _All nine of them_ , with varying degrees of volume and vigor, debating if they should dock again and risk the Marines on land or not.

 _Ugh._ She  _said_  she would find them, hadn't she?!

At least Zoro remembered this detail and advocated it on her behalf. The corner of her lips pulled downward as she realized it  _fit,_  felt quite right to have him on her side.  _How annoying._

She lingered in the water a little longer, suspended there as the ship plodded closer and closer, needing a few more minutes for herself.

Draining her chakra more than necessary, after an already long day, probably wasn't her  _best_  idea of late.  _Maybe_  she'd been a little too enthusiastic in that last fight. While it had initially felt good to purge some of her stifled angry energy, the whole thing left her…

_Off kilter._

Fi had made her enemies' last hour a very painful one, picking and chipping away at them with nasty little traumas that weren't lethal straightaway. After drawing out the fight, enjoying their mounting frustration and slowly weakening wills, they'd one by one collapsed in exhaustion and accumulated injury. She hadn't even bothered to get rid of their bodies after bleeding them dry, since they were far from the town's population anyway.

Only after they were dead had she registered taking it too far in a few ways.

She'd immediately concealed her energy signature again, ensuring the last place any ninja had sensed her was on the island, and dashed straight through the eastern forest to escape into the water. Swimming out several kilometers from the island's coast, she'd put herself in the ship's orbit and idled, taking stock and trying to collect herself before seeing the crew again.

She was a bad combination of tired and high-strung as she struggled to come down from the violence of the last hour. Her mind kept wanting to relive pieces of that fight in an endless loop of blood and bone. It was giving her a damn migraine on top of her damn migraine.

 _Tch_. Forget freezing to death. As much as she wanted to return to the Sunny, those pirates were probably going make her head explode.

Fi silently floated to the surface, eyes rising just above the water line and setting her sights on the lawn deck.

With her chakra hidden again, the very pirates she sought didn't detect her nearby.  _Ugh._  If one of them would just  _look her way_ for a second, they'd easily see her annoyingly bright hair in the water! Even  _Sanji_  was too distracted to notice her!

Shifting to her all human form, the icy water stole her breath and further sapped her remaining strength as she made the appropriate hand signs with numbing, clumsy fingers.

Picking a small piece of scrap wood on the lawn near the crew, a quick substitution jutsu put her on deck of the ship. Her remaining primary chakra was low enough even that basic jutsu sent vague aches and nausea rolling through her.

Nine highly alarmed pirates whipped around, staring at her with eight and a half pairs of eyes that made her feel as if she'd turned into a ghost—not an unusual look on the Sunny, considering Brook could do just that.  _Yo, ho_.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Fi shifted her weight to her left foot in annoyance, trying to maintain her dignity while shivering and fighting the stress of chakra fatigue, water streaming down her skin and turning to ice alarmingly fast. Her teeth chattered. "Who t-the hell is sup-posed to be the l-lookout?"

Zoro recovered the quickest. How did the man convey so much through a simple glare? " _Seriously?!_ "

Though she tried to be casual about it, her body trembled with the cold. She was anxious to get warm and needed to get herself in a better head-space. "Well, I s-snuck up o-on you lot awfully e-easy, don't you th-think?""

"Excuse  _you!?_ " The marimo continued to lose his shit, tugging at his hair before turning back to the others again. "That's  _it!_ We are leavin' her frozen ass on that goddamn ice cube of an island!"

The rest of the crew's collective surprise morphed, too. A piqued, groaning Nami dragged a hand over her face, while Usopp and Chopper muttered agreement with Zoro. The others simply waved it off in their usual, casual ways.

" _Shishishishi!_ " Luffy cackled, repeatedly smacking Zoro on the back. "You guys should really listen to me n' Zoro more! We told ya it'd be fiiiine!"

The moss head growled and crossed his arms over his coat-covered chest, shaking his head at her. He muttered lowly but not so quiet she couldn't hear. "Why do I even… Ungrateful ninja… Just  _poppin'_ up…" He gestured down the length of her incredulously, voice returning to a normal volume. "And what the  _hell_  d'you think you're  _doin'_ , swimming aga—" He got interrupted by Nami.

" _What?!_ You  _swam?!_  What the  _actual fuck_?! And you took too damn long! We thought we'd end up having to come back for you!"

Her jaw flexed as she looked to Nami but checked her tone. She knew the redhead was just worried. "There was no need to wait around like this, let alone dock again. I made it clear I'd come back by my own means."

"It wasn't clear at all, and you just took off!  _Twice!_ " Nami scolded, annoyingly unafraid to get into her face. "We didn't even get a chance to ask when we saw you earlier!"

Fi was starting to miss the days when this damn crew feared her. "I literally said ' _I'll get back to the ship on my own_.' How could I have been any clearer?" She directed her words at Nami but glanced to Zoro as he dropped his big coat onto her shoulders for the second time that day, scowling forcefully. He turned on his heel and stormed away, headed for the men's quarters.  _That intensity…_ Was it her unwell mind magnifying it, or was he really—

The navigator broke her train of thought with another shrill lecture. "But you're still hurt, and we didn't know if you needed help!" She argued, her ire dissipating unusually quickly only to be replaced with concern. "And you look…" She waved a hand to indicate Fi's appearance as Zoro had. " _Terrible!_ "

Fi rolled her eyes, but it was Robin who jumped in and gently put it to rest. "All's well that ends well. First, miss ninja, why don't you go get warm." She smiled, every bit the low-key mad scientist. "Unless you're conducting some kind of self-preservation freezing experiment. Shall I provide outside observation? Lips, bluish."

Nami squeezed the bridge of her nose briefly then nodded, letting it go. "Robin's right, but please—if you love us, Fi— _never_  give Luffy or Zoro cause to utter the phrase ' _told you_ ' ever again." She turned to the others. "Alright, Brook, at the helm. Usopp, Luffy. Get to work."

"I'll start cooking dinner." Sanji noted, lighting a cigarette and giving Fi another heart-eyed smile. "Fiore-swan, my sweet, I'll make you some hot tea."

Fi nodded stiffly, appreciating his easier demeanor.

Everyone hopped to task, so she finally acknowledged the silently fuming doctor, small arms crossed over his furry chest, tapping his hoof against the lawn deck nearby. "I'm going to shower first."

"You've got ten minutes." He gave her a stern look then took off for his infirmary.

_Bossy deer. Kid was lucky she liked him so much._

Making her way to her room, Fi grabbed clean clothes and hung up Zoro's coat. Heading up to the bathroom in the top of the observation deck, she quickly stripped and then cranked the water as hot as possible, anxiously stepping under the hot spray. She spent every second possible scrubbing soap into her hair, nails, and skin, ridding herself of the lingering scent of a busy town and the blood of unfamiliar ninja.

She pulled long, cleansing breaths as she washed. Even just a few minutes alone reminded her that tonight wasn't going to be easy. The intrusive images behind her eyelids were getting noisier as she relaxed her guard within the safety of the Sunny.

A few minutes later saw her dressed in a tight gray tee shirt and her own black sweatpants, sitting on Chopper's exam table and abnormally cooperative as he inspected her injury.

Fi honestly didn't have the energy to give the kid much grief.

She silently took his vexation, finding it vaguely funny that it was the same face Zoro pulled when he'd checked it earlier that day, too. He smeared some ointment on it and covered it with a white bandage but didn't attempt to strap her to the table or otherwise hold her captive.

 _Wonderful_ , she praised herself. Must not have been  _so_  bad then.  _Ha, see?_  She could be a well-behaved ninja, too.

The doc wasn't happy with the slowly appearing bruises littering her limbs, since it meant she got into a fight or twenty. He also spent a short but painful minute poking at the tender, slowly discoloring patch of skin stretched along the left side of her ribs. It was the result of a chakra-laced punch from one of the now-dead Raze in that fight on the beach. Best to let him prod at it now rather than tomorrow, because once the bruising showed, it would look far more objectionable.

As Chopper made a few notes at his desk, she pulled her shirt back on. "I'm off the hook?"

Swiveling around on his stool, his big brown eyes found hers. "I honestly expected much worse. I'm glad you took care of your shoulder at least."

She hopped up and made to leave but paused with her hand on the door to the galley.  _At least?_  "I get the sense you're still unsatisfied."

"It's not that," he breathed. "I just wish you wouldn't insist on making things harder than necessary for yourself. Anything I can do to help the  _stress?_ "

Fi shook her head, hiding her discomfort and feeling totally undeserving of his concern. "Just need some time."

He nodded and hopped up to join her at the door. "Right. And I'll check your stitches again tomorrow. Hopefully we caught the infection early enough to prevent any issue."

"Thanks, Chopper." She murmured, pondering the way the little reindeer made her feel more secure in spite of herself.

They joined the others in the galley next door, where everyone waited for dinner, chatting and laughing but far more subdued than usual. It appeared they all had long, tiring afternoons, too. Luffy and Usopp looked particularly pathetic. Hogwild food rampages must be quite the workout.

Fi took her usual seat, wrapping her hands around the mug of hot tea at her place and looking across the table.

Zoro didn't have his swords but was still in his black pants and green robe, and still handsome as ever. His stern gaze remained resolutely fixed on anyone that wasn't her. The man hadn't spoken a word to her, didn't glance her way or tease her like normal.

 _Ah, damn._ He really was pissed at her.

Their afternoon had been so pleasant, too.

After Sanji distributed plates of steaming food around the table, the usual dinner-time chaos grew. It grated her nerves, and tonight, that meant compounding the tension already tightening her tired frame and weary mind. Her food distracted her for a few minutes, so she kept to herself and quiet, wrestling with her thoughts.

She really thought she was doing  _okay_ , but as the meal waned, the others got a second wind of energy. Fi's shoulders drew higher, and she realized she was unprepared for how quickly the noise triggered fight mode.

One more piercing, errant shout from one of the young crew, and a wave of adrenaline crashed through her, warping her fatigue into something more miserable. Her thoughts scrambled for a ledge as her senses involuntarily kicked into overdrive.

Without her permission, images that had no place at the Straw Hat table assaulted her. The give of Striker flesh under her kunai. The crunch of Bane finger bones in her fangs. Ember skulls cracking under her heel. Squiggly, dark pink intestines bursting from a Raze's abdominal cavity. The exact trajectory and force required to neutralize Luffy with a shuriken from this distance and angle.

_Wait, fuck! No!_

She commanded her body to stop the trembling that threatened to overtake her, trying to breathe and escape like she was trained to do— _inhale, detach, exhale, detach._  Goosebumps raised her icy skin as her mind conjured blood around the room.  _So much pretty blood_ , in thick clots and streams, hot and sticky as it ran down her weapons, bathed her knuckles. Shit.  _Inhale, detach, exhale, detach._

With a slow, steadying breath, Fi raised her eyes to the swordsman, who shifted under her stare without meeting her gaze.

A sudden, sharp peal of Chopper's laugh hit her like a fucking truck. He may not have been as imposing, but his high-pitched voice was enough to make him a target out of sheer annoyance. Could the kid even fight off low-level ninja?

A more painful thought clawed its way to consciousness. What would Chopper have said if he'd seen her toying with those bloodied ninja just a few hours ago?

 _Hell_ —what was she  _doing_ , hanging around these good kids, deceiving them like she was one of them? The falsity kindled a self-loathing that closed her throat.

_Breathe._

Luffy reached his arms above his head in a jerk, and Fi actively refrained from recoiling defensively. He was only to stretching, but it didn't  _matter_ that she  _knew_ that. Her heart was still in her throat, racing. Too aware of the threat the captain posed, her mind determined the best means of sinking her kunai into a vital spot. There were several viable alternatives to take him down, should he deflect her blade. It didn't matter how powerful the kid was if he could be surprised or tricked.

Without her consent, her focus continued to morph, overshadowed by the ruthless part of her brain that saw only blood and death.

She grit her teeth together against Usopp's shriek of laughter, pressure still ringing her ears. What chance did a long-range sniper stand in close combat with a ninja?

An image of a dead ninja from earlier that day, a shuriken sticking out of her neck and blood sputtering around the steel as she tried to draw her last breath, warped into a vision of Usopp dying the same way.

 _No, dammit!_ She repressed the urge to physically shake herself off.  _Stop picturing it, psycho!_

To her left, Nami giggled in response to something Robin had said. No ninja would kill either of those two right away. They were far too pretty to die quickly.

Fi kept her face devoid of emotion and tried to mute the sharp noises of the group and intrusive thoughts. Instead, she focused on the air going in and out of her lungs. She mechanically put a piece of chicken in her mouth and chewed, not— _dammit, NOT_ —thinking about Bane fingers between her fangs.

She counted the seconds and tried to untense all her muscles and relax her shoulders.

Coincidentally, Brook and Franky simultaneously moved with quick, twitchy motions. Fi  _knew_  nothing would happen— _there was no coordinated attack, idiot_ —but her body still drew tight all over again, tensing for the attack and jutsu that would never come.

She fought with herself  _not_  to estimate the number of paper bombs needed to strategically blow Brook's skeleton apart.  _Six, probably?_  Her nose filled with the stench of burnt hair and flesh mixed with hot metal alloy as her mind saw Franky get cooked with a close-range jutsu from— _oh_ _god, were those her hands?_

_No No NO. Stop._

Refraining from plugging her nose, she kept her eyes on her plate and pushed a fingertip into her temple. She was losing it, struggling to control her thoughts, unable to will away the disturbing images of dismembered Straw Hats.

_Just stop, stupid! Breathe!_

Slight tremors crept along her skin, and she couldn't fucking  _breathe_. Violence from the day and days long past flooded her, morphing into the faces of the kind crew who she was selfish enough to cling to. Her hands killed and killed and killed and killed—

 _No._ She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and subtly punctured the soft skin with her sharp canine.

_Inhale. Detach. Exhale. Detach._

They weren't targets. Not enemies.

_Inhale. Detach. Exhale. Detach._

Better to feel nothing than see this crew as marks turned corpses for insects to mingle and feast.

_Inhale. Detach. Exhale. Detach._

Better to feel numb than panicked. Panicked ninja killed too quickly and died too easily.

 _Inhale. Detach. Exhale. De_ —

"Oi."

Her eyes snapped to the man across from her. The swordsman would be a difficult mark. He'd shown just how little threat some lowly Raze posed. But could he take her?  _Not likely_. She had his trust. She could surprise him, take him on his blind side. That'd be her best chance of—

" _Fi?_ "

Right. She had a nickname here.  _Fi._  That was her. Here, she wasn't  _Fang Fiore,_ public enemy number one.

"You good?" His tone was low and expression severe, aware she was  _not_.

She searched his dark eye, wondering why he'd decided to stop ignoring her when his gaze fell to her mouth momentarily. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth again, cleaning a residual drop of blood off with her tongue.  _Naturally._ He saw everything.

 _What'd he ask?_ Oh…  _Good?_ "Yeah. Good."

Before he could respond, a sudden shout from Nami caused Fi to freeze with the sheer effort of  _not_  silencing her. Luffy had said something exceedingly dense, and the navigator responded enthusiastically per usual

_Inhale. Detach._

" _Hell_ , woman!" Zoro crabbed at Nami. "That even hurt  _my_ ears!"

_Exhale. Detach._

The redhead spared him a dirty look but then gave Fi an apologetic smile, since she was the one who regularly complained about the Straw Hat habit of shouting. "My bad!"

The others were thoroughly distracted, and not a minute had passed since  _it_  started, since she'd fully spiraled into bloody visions. Besides Zoro, no one had noticed anything. 

_Fake it._

Fi offered Nami a small, practiced smile. "Don't worry, I'm good."

Robin watched her from the other side of the redhead, abruptly joining the conversation. "Mind if I take watch tonight, miss ninja?"

She turned down her offer with routine casualness. "You had a busy day too, right? I'd rather stay awake tonight and sleep tomorrow." At least that last part wasn't fake. Her addled mind would be ripe for nightmares, if she was able to fall asleep at all.

" _Oww,_  little ninja! Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look so  _suuuper_  tonight! You should go to sleep!" Franky suggested, ganging up with the others. "Those bags under your eyes are darker than your hair!"

"That's okay." Fi reached for her water glass, pretending to be fully at ease to assuage their worry. "I have to pull my fair share of responsibility while sail—"

Luffy suddenly shrieked at Brook and then stretched his neck backward at an impossible angle to dodge Sanji's kicking foot. The commotion caused her to freeze halfway to her glass in of an effort  _not_  to reach down to where her pouch usually sat on her leg. Hovering mid-air, her hand visibly shook. She retracted her arm quickly, but it wasn't lost on the adults nearest her, unfortunately.  _Unacceptable._ She was weak.

Zoro stood abruptly, her suspicious gaze following him. He tipped his head towards the door, stern eye on hers, giving a command. "Let's go."

Despite schooling her features, she snapped with everything on her shoulders. " _I don't think I like your fucking tone._ "

The table fell silent, even the boys suddenly shut up and watched her intently. Luffy's gaze burned holes into her even though he didn't say or do a thing. A distant part of her felt guilty for biting off Zoro's head when he was trying to help, but she was too on edge to really care.

He leaned forward over the table a bit, unperturbed by her hostility. " _Let's. Go_."

She considered making it a fight as she stared him down for a few beat; he was unmistakably resolute

Instead, and probably petulantly, she shot to her feet and stepped away from the table, striding out of the galley without a word, kicking the door open in front of herself too aggressively with a sharp crack.

Zoro followed her with a growl, punching open the still-swinging door with another unhealthy cracking sound. " _I got watch._ " 

" _Oww!_ " Franky grouched from the table. "Why's it always the door's fault?!"

Zoro was out on the chilly, snowy lawn deck, behind her by only a few seconds. "Go to bed, Fi."

" _No._ I don't want to have—" She pressed the heels of her palms into her eye sockets only to drop her hands and shake them out. " _Fuck_." She crouched briefly and then catapulted herself up to the balcony with scant chakra. Even using that tiny bit of energy set an uneasy, sick feeling through her as she landed in a crouch on the railing.

Fi entered and paced the middle of the room, trying to collect herself as Zoro ascended the ladder. He cleared the balcony and approached, breaking the ice with blatant disapproval. "At least sit  _down_  or somethin'. What's got you so damn worked up?"

He  _knew_. No reason to fake it. She paused her movement to face him. "I just… Lost it for a minute."

A look of confusion crossed his features. "You didn't  _lose_  it."

"Didn't I?" Stretched too thin, and without the audience of the others, she didn't hold back. "Is that what you fucking think?" Gorey scenes hit her like rapid fire flash-bangs, the violent actions tangible to the point of twitching along her contracted muscles, trying to claw their way into existence. "Maybe your sight isn't what I thought it was."

"Didn't say I didn't fuckin'  _see_  it." He met her glare, neither flinching nor hesitating. "I said you  _didn't lose it."_

She screwed her eyes shut before refocusing on his, unfairly pouring it all into him as she took a belligerent step closer. "How many fucking times a day do you picture Chopper getting gutted like the animal he is?" His momentary surprise morphed to simmering fury as he processed her words, but the skin and blood thick under her nails spurred her on. "How many  _fucking times a day_  is it  _your_  blade dripping with his life, his guts splattering along  _your_  legs?" The stench of decomposition tainted the Sunny's warmth and overwhelmed her, choked her so completely she almost gagged. "How often are  _your_  fucking feet stepping over his mutilated body just to  _kill the next fucking pirate_." She spoke through clenched teeth. "For  _you_." Her nails bit into her palms as she tightened her fists as an alternative to doing what she described. "I'd take that good eye of yours. And I'd use my fingers instead of a kunai."

The sharpening of his haki derailed her half-hysterical thoughts just long enough to claim her attention again. "None of those things happened, and they never will." Every line and plane of his stony face was etched with his quietly seething, grim decision. " _You did not fuckin' lose it_."

She forced a harsh exhale, still pushing down the alarm and self-loathing. With an unsteady hand, she ran her fingers through her hair in stress before carelessly tying the mess back with her damn ribbon. Her neck was sticky with sweat despite the cold.  _Too damn much_. This shit was too intense tonight. She shook her head, changing the subject. " _Fine._  But why are  _you_  angry with me?"

" _Fuck_ , Fi, because you're so goddamn  _difficult_!" He threw his hands up, frustration bubbling over. Dropping his hands to his head and pulling his hair, he turned away a brief moment before lowering his arms and squaring up again. "When you didn't appear right away with a shitty  _poof_ , we didn't know what to do! They worried you weren't coming back at all, and when you  _do_  finally show up,  _look at you!_ " He gestured at her.

"I  _said_  I'd return." She spat, more caustic than probably appropriate, but it renewed the sting of the crew _not_ taking her at her word. " _You_  weren't worried about me coming back. Luffy wasn't worried."

"Not my point!" His jaw tightened in irritation. "You didn't bother  _tellin'_ anyone your plan, which was a shitty one by the way. You could give them a little more thought, you know!" He leaned down aggressively, tone cutting her with surgical precision. "And maybe you came back  _this time,_ but it's no damn secret you're tryin' to convince yourself to leave the Sunny. So don't act like it's unreasonable for them to worry!"

She stared up at him for a moment, mouth open but not answering.  _Of fucking course_  he was angry for their sake. He was protective of his own, just like Robin had said earlier. Just like she'd witnessed since day one.

Fi shut her mouth and looked away, focus shifting back to controlling herself, on not trembling, on trying to breathe and  _detach._  But she  _just fucking couldn't_  this time—not completely. Not when  _Zoro_  was looking at her with such distaste. Not when a wholly stupid part of her wished for his haven instead of his guard.  _How ridiculous._

She sidestepped and made to park her ass on the couch, vibrating too high and far too close to embarrassing herself. But before she got another step further, his hand shot out fast as a bullet and gripped her upper arm tightly, stopping her with a hard jerk. "Don't you walk away from me!  _I hate that shit_."

Her stress spiked, nerves tight as a bowstring as disproportionate heat seeped from his hand into her.  _Oh, fuck._ Her vision blurred in and out of focus.  _Not now_.

With a sharp exhale, his countenance unclouded in spite of his plain ire. "Listen, I don't want to argue right now either. But I'm taking watch tonight. Go if you want, but I can see you're freaked out. If you don't wanna sl...p, stay up h... wi.. me."

Fi's senses fogged in and out again, a little panic rising in her throat at having missed a few of his words. She was too overwhelmed,. S _till too damn much._  Her mind spun with the room as she pictured all the ways she'd maim him in an instant, just to escape his grip, seeing all the ways she'd leave him fatally wounded at her feet.

" _Oi._..at's w... th. kil..r vib..?"

Whatever he said didn't register, her heart still full throttle into overtime. A thickness blanketed her, involuntary paranoia wracking her in a cold, shivering flush, screaming at her to eliminate the threat.

_NO NO NO!_

_On the Sunny. Not in combat. Just his hand_.  _Don't attack._  She froze like a fucking statue, unnatural self-control borne from the extremes of ninjahood.  _On the Sunny. Zoro's hand._  Her throat was still constricted, making it hard to breathe. She squinted against narrowing vision, refusing to follow through on the impulse to spill  _someone's_ blood in sheer panic.

_Breathe. Can't fucking breathe. Stop shaking._

"..y, _uh,_ .i?" His voice sounded far away as he repeated the familiar monosyllable. " _Fi._ "

 _See, idiot?_  On the Sunny. Just him.  _Zoro_. Another part of her mind continued to scream at her to break his hold and rip his arm off for making her feel like— _NO._  Fear coated her insides, threatening to rise in her throat as bile. To hear his chest rattle with death. To see his ocean eye cloud. To feel that Chi dissipate into nothingness.

_Not him, please._

Her heart was trying to break out of her rib cage it beat so hard, and her chest responded by constricting tighter and tighter and tighter.

In that moment, she truly didn't know how to move without hurting him, how to get closer and hide against him. Her whisper wavered, her words sounding more like a desperate plea than the command she'd intended. " _Let-let go_."

"Oh—" He released her immediately, expletive a full octave higher. "—S _hit_!"

Fi stumbled sideways but then steadied herself on shaky legs and bent at the waist, putting her hands on her knees as she counted her breaths, trying to conceal her struggle and murderous thoughts as much as possible.  _Breathe._ Eyes closed, tremors wracked her at irregular intervals, and with too much fucking practice, she backed away from the edge, fought off the effects of hyperventilating.

 _Think of this as good training_. Like in the old days, when sensei Drav would beat anyone who fell off their feet. No passing out. No blacking out. That'd be  _death_ in any fight. She'd dodged kunai while fighting  _this_ , too. It wasn't new, just extra humiliating in this case.

Zoro remained nearby, rooted but keeping his distance.

Breathing through her embarrassing shaking and unwelcome urges for brutality, she vaguely wondered when exactly it happened, this solid credence between them.  _Breathe._  He could have killed her a hundred times in a hundred ways in those moments. Her guard hadn't been lowered like this in eighteen damnable years, not since before her clan had been slaughtered.

Just  _breathe_.

Fi was as glad for his presence as she was mortified. Fully cognizant of her disgrace, unadulterated shame started to replace the slow-fading burn in her chest.

 _Yup, just like the old days_.

The  _wooosh_  of blood in her ears wasn't gone yet, but after a few more minutes, her body calmed a little more. The violent thoughts were getting easier to put on the backburner. The adrenaline was wearing off. But her exhaustion was mounting twice over. She bit her lower lip until it bled to make sure she didn't cry. Why did blood  _always_ work for her? After a few more deep breaths, she slowly straightened to a stand again but pressed her palms into her eyes. She resolutely kept the tears in her eyes where they fucking belonged.

"Are you okay?" Concern seeped from him.

Maybe it would be better to bolt and never come back, so she didn't have to look Zoro in the eye ever again. Instead, she bobbed her head in affirmation, too embarrassed to face him yet but finding his baritone amazingly fucking soothing. After  _all that_ , she  _still_  wanted to crawl into his arms and feel his strength around her, feel the steady warmth of his radius.

"I… wasn't thinking." His strained voice flooded her with guilt. "I'm-I'm sorry."

She dropped her hands and waved off his apology, keeping her eyes closed. After another tense few minutes, she finally opened her eyes to meet his, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. "Sorry about… that."

" _Don't say_ —don't apologize. S'my fault. I  _know_  I shouldn't have—but all day, we've been…." The sincere remorse on his face didn't do much in helping her not cry. " _M'really sorry_. I didn't  _think._ "

"Stop  _looking_  at me like that. I'm fine." She insisted even as the urge to ugly-cry got worse, still attempting to obscure her upset from the man who saw it all anyway. "I'm  _okay_."

"I don't…" He looked pained, taking a step to move closer but stopping immediately. "Tell me what to do."

"There's nothing  _to_  do." Her voice strained with the hurt of seeing him hesitate. But why  _wouldn't_  he after seeing  _that_?

His hands balled into fists, forearms flexing at his sides before he turned to retrieve a nearby water bottle. It was one she recognized, as he often sipped from it while training. Staying an arm's length away, he held the bottle out for her. "D'you want some water?"

Her breath hitched.  _This damn pirate._ Who the hell did he think he was, being so soft with someone like her?

Moisture pricked at her eyes, but she held fast and simply nodded. She reached for the bottle, and he took care not to touch her. Her whole body  _ached_ to think she may have pushed away the  _one person_  she'd started trusting so much that she wanted him close  _all the time,_ even through humiliating vulnerability. It wasn't lost on her how unreasonably non-ninja-like that idea was.  _Hell._

Fi took few pulls of stale water, lowering it with a pathetic sniffle and frown. "I'm still surprised this doesn't have booze in it."

He released a heavy breath of frustration, shaking his head. "Sorry to disappoint." His face fell all over again. " _M'sorry_ , Fi."

" _Quit it._ _S_ top apologizing." It hurt to see him so remorseful for simply being himself with her.

"I dunno know what else to fuckin' do." His jaw clenched. "Should I get Chopper?"

" _Fuck no_." She whispered harshly but then amended. "I appreciate the kid, but damn, no _doctor._ " Concern still tugged his features down. She answered his unvoiced argument, but even Fi could hear the desperation lacing her tone. "I said I'm  _fine_."

" _Fine?_  Fuckin' _lie._ " He raised his hand towards her only to drop it lamely and huff. "Ya know what? It doesn't even fuckin' matter if you're  _fine_  or not, 'cause you're with us now. Why do I gotta keep tellin' ya that? But s _hit_ , when you're  _not okay_ , you could let us know— _fuck,_ at least let  _me_  in."

She shrugged, still trying to find a mode where it just didn't hurt as much and she didn't fucking  _cry_ , but it wasn't working at  _all._  A far bigger part of her wanted to stay right here in these painful moments  _with_  the moss head. And what she really wanted was for him to reach for her again, as he had been all day.

_Let him in, huh?_

Drawing her chin up a notch, she took a step closer to him and held her a hand out, palm up, uncomfortably bare under his omniscient, ocean-dark eye. "Any chance you'll just forget this happened?"

He reached out, expression somber even as his warm, rough hand connected with hers, their fingers weaving together. "Like hell."

Stepping even closer, she looked up to maintain their eye contact like always, acutely more conscious that she was not treading water but drowning. His calluses and strong grip were becoming treacherously familiar. Her mouth moved on its own, both confession and assertion at once. "Life is such an ugly thing."

Certainty flared in his features, his big hand tightening around hers. " _It gets better._ "

She really wanted to believe him. "When?"

" _Now,_ Fi. You're  _here_." He reassured gruffly. "You're on the Sunny. How many damn times, in how many goddamn ways, are ya gonna make me say it?"

 _On the Sunny, huh?_ Hadn't she told herself the same thing? Fi leaned into him, resting her forehead against his broad chest. His heart thumped quickly, but the solid, rhythmic  _ba-dump_  was entirely comforting. Heat radiated from him invitingly. Trying to tune out her chagrin, she mumbled against his sternum. "Keep watch with me tonight."

With a relieved huff, he dropped her hand only to fold his arms around her shoulders, hugging her against his big frame and sheltering her in a way she'd not known in her lifetime. "I already said I was, idiot."

His sincere response tore her open, and she knew he read the intensity of her reaction, in his Zoro way, despite her restraint. She gripped his robe and pressed her face into his body, letting herself get lost in him for a while. He reassured her with his smell and his muscle mass and the air going in and out of his lungs and the heartbeat in his chest.

_Ba-dump… Ba-dump… Ba-dump…_

Damn this man for being so fucking unshakable.

She really hated crying.

 

* * *

  

After clinging to Zoro like she didn't have human legs of her own, Fi finally released him and stepped back. She was reluctant to part but still embarrassed and wanted to give him space.

Except he had a different idea entirely.

Towing her by the hand, he wordlessly led her to his couch, a spot they now shared on a regular basis. The worn, dark cushions still faced the window from the last time they kept joint watch a few nights ago. He released her hand and sat down heavily, body language too casual for the tension around his eyes.

Ah,  _damn_. This troubled him, even if he was solid as ever. She stood by guiltily, belatedly realizing she was dragging him down with her. Demanding he stay with her like that… How could a guy like him refuse?  _Selfish, stupid girl._

Still watching her closely, he simply leaned back into the cushions and stretched his right arm open in invitation. She remained hesitant, still worrying she'd forced his hand, but he simply reassured her. "Come on, Fi—stay close."

Pressing her lips together, she finally complied, truly not having the energy to deny her craving for the same thing. Fi fell onto the couch next to him, practically in his lap as she leaned into his right side and he wrapped his arm around her waist. A wave of relief washed through her when he pulled her even tighter against him and reclined them back further, settling their combined weight into the couch comfortably.

She willingly gave herself to the heat of his body, letting it lull her exhausted one. The solace of his arms quieted her mind. Her demons hushed with his closeness.  _What was that saying about a good man going to war?_  Inhaling his steely spice, she melted into his firm contours as much as possible. "I need to sleep."

"I wish you would." He lamented quietly.

She turned into him and draped her right arm over his torso, pulling her right leg across his lap and half laying on him. He only encouraged her, reaching his other arm around to hold her more completely, tucking her against him. Sinking her cheek down onto his hard chest, she didn't fight the fatigue for once. With overdue burnout biting at her heels, there wasn't anywhere she'd rather be.

"Wake me if I dream."

He squeezed her against him in emphasis. "'Course."

_Ba-dump… Ba-dump… Ba-dump..._

She felt remarkably safe.

_Ba-dump… Ba-dump… Ba-dump…_

_Damn him._

 

* * *

  

It was a testament to her fatigue that she fell asleep within a few minutes.

Zoro dropped his eye to her slack face and tangled a hand in her vibrant hair before returning his gaze to the sea stretched out endlessly beyond the window.

_This awful little ninja._

She'd really fucking scared him earlier.

When they'd parted in town, he thought she would be a few minutes behind them and continue torturing him. But she had to go and take forever, and  _then_ she snuck up on them,  _soaked_ , shivering, and looking like a zombie.  _Minimal sass._  And yeah, he got pissed. Mad she didn't take better care of herself. Resented that he fought with everyone to reassure them she was  _fine_ , only for her to show up  _so not fine._

He  _hated_ that she'd come back to the Sunny looking like  _that,_  so tired and tense with that detached chill hanging over her.

Of course, Fi had kept it together.  _Che,_ no matter how casual she acted _,_  her stoic veneer was so damn transparent now that he knew her much better. She wasn't hurt, but she was hurting.

Sitting across from him at dinner, he didn't know what it was  _exactly_ , but that darkness had pulled at her again. Pulled her farther from him. His brain uselessly regurgitated Chopper's clinical terms, but it wasn't as if Zoro knew what that shit literally meant. But  _fuck,_  like a real shithead, he had waited too long to interfere, took too much time in getting over himself to lend her an out. He knew first hand it fucking  _sucked_ to feel so completely isolated and alone in such a shitty struggle.

 _That shit she said about Chopper_ … Fucked up if that was the nature of the shit she dealt with all the time, especially 'cause it was the kid. She had a big soft spot for their littlest idiot, enthusiastically picked up the 'emergency food' bit and everything!

But she didn't  _lose it,_ not really. No one had a shuriken stickin' outta their face, everyone's heads faced the right way.

And he had anticipated her sharp edge, but once in the crow's nest, he hadn't expected the sudden impact of  _his_  own distress! But apparently, as the architect of his goddamn torment, all she had to do was stare up at him with those conflicted amethyst orbs, and he went full dumbass. Let his worry get away from him.

 _Fuck_ , he'd been such an asshole, bickering with her when she was already so damn cagy and obviously rattled. That was his bad and fully fuckin'  _stupid._  All he'd set out to do was make the stubborn thing get some  _rest!_  But, fuck and double fuck _;_  he'd fucked up. Argued with her,  _grabbed her_  so thoughtlessly like that…

Guilt lit him up anew despite her assurances.

And like the selfish bastard he absolutely was, he had the nerve to worry he'd sabotaged their developing haptic language.  _Dammit_. That idea still hurt. But despite his idiocy, she pressed herself close in an incredibly desperate way. It was both endearing and deeply sad. He'd just have to hold her every damn second she let him, hold her so much she'd get terribly sick of it.

His heart thumped uncomfortably.

 _Goddammit_.

Wasn't he just  _that_  asshole all the sudden? The one who fell head fuckin' first into something he never hoped for with someone he never expected. He was totally absorbed in  _Fang Fiore_ , ninja of his nightmares and wet dreams _._ A magnetic pull existed between them, and he was sure she felt it, too.

 _Che._  He'd known her for, what,  _weeks?_ But  _shit_ , what the fuck was he  _supposed_  to do—pretend it wasn't happening? Maybe the know-it-all  _should_  write a damn manual. But what fun was a boring guide like that? He was keen to keep acting on instinct as usual. Maybe he'd fucked up by grabbin' at her when she was all freaked out, but, instinct had also led him to kiss her…

Heat flooded him as he thought about her sinful mouth on his.

 _Mmh._ Yeah.  _A wise choice indeed_.

She'd showed up at that damn bar, full of subdued fire and insanity, her presence only painfully highlighting just how hung up he was. One wet kiss with his murderous, no good, perfect damn ninja really did catapult him into some kind of madman's transcendence.

… _Godfuckingdammit._

His arms tightened around her as she snoozed, still curled around him in a wonderfully aching way, and his eye fell to her face again. She looked exhausted even though she was sleeping. Her under-eyes really were darker than her hair, as Franky pointed out earlier.

He wished she had laugh lines around her pretty eyes, or at least some smile creases around her mean mouth.

_Well, shit._

Zoro may not have been anyone's keeper, but among his many other unofficial titles on this damn ship, he'd definitely added  _ninja handler_  to the list. He felt the weight of that responsibility tonight. It wasn't trivial but equivalent to the pressure of the girl currently sleeping against his chest. Substantial but intuitive.

 _Yeah._  It was  _really fuckin' dumb_ of him to start an argument and yank her arm when she was so stressed. He  _knew_  better, and there was really no good excuse for it. He would definitely do better next time.

Constricting her a little more, his eye tiredly scanned the horizon.

He wouldn't shy from this, and  _fuckin' a_ , he was gonna put some goddamn smile lines on her stupidly beautiful face.

 

* * *

  

He toed the corpse of the Striker ninja lying in the sand at the base of a tree, head barely attached by stringy sinew. It was a dreadfully lovely sight.

_Naughty girl, leaving him love notes in a twisted carcass._

Even if she hadn't been showing off that sweet and spicy, convoluted chakra of hers, he knew this was her kill like he knew the back of his own hand.

Tipping his head back, he eyed the dried blood more than halfway up the trunk, splattered in a readable pattern among thick branches. So, she was hit first then fell.

_Eeh-heh, nice aim, my love._

He crouched next to the dead woman at the edge of the beach, considering the blackish, shriveled clots of blood and the shredded flesh that was once her throat. She was definitely maimed by a shuriken, but to do damage like that, it had to have been packed with  _much_  chakra, plenty more than necessary to make the kill.

_Eehehehe, wasn't that just Fang Fiore in a nutshell?_

Ennio knew his girl's M.O. when he saw it.

Whether it was an efficient, methodical execution or a slow-burn slaughter, no one could deliver such  _heartfelt_  death quite like his little lotus. She'd been ruled by passion since they were children, and nothing had changed. The evidence was in the bodies she left behind, like this pretty corpse in front of him, a snapshot of her  _ravingly_ tender heart.

She was truly nothing like her reputation back on Wai'tu.  _Eehehe_ ,  _well,_   _except for the 'vicious monster' part._  Fiore was every bit as savagely violent as they described. But the claim she was unfeeling and heartless was almost ironic. Any elite ninja worth their salt could be  _cold_  for the sake of proficiency. So why did they confuse her well-trained pretense with what really lurked below the surface?

Perhaps it was Ennio's view that enabled him to see her clearly, as he had a  _unique_  window into her mind.

For the last four years, acting within his authority and capacity as the Thorn clan's best tracker and one of the highest ranking specialists among ninja, he'd been monitoring Fang Fiore, lagging behind her around the globe without catching her attention. As the only ninja exempt from the standing kill-on-sight orders, his purpose was simple. Piece together any clues of her plan and path. The Elders knew she would eventually come for them, and they wanted an idea of how and when. They villainized her and kept tabs on her even as they downplayed her threat to their way of life.

For  _four years_ , he has had the pleasure of getting,  _eeh-heh,_   _intimately_  familiar with her kills. He excelled at following a cold trail, deciphering the leftovers of a fight, and gleaming evidence off the remains of rotting corpses and the scenes of their wonderfully gruesome demises. He read death better than any other ninja in their generation, and  _no one_  knew better than him how Fiore's kills so perfectly captured her  _verve._

_Eehehehe, she really was sweet to leave him such erotic little gifts like this._

A shudder racked Ennio's body as he stroked his fingers down the brunette's cold, bloodless cheek, her big, dark eyes frozen wide with titillating panic even in death. From his crouched position, he dropped to his knees, rubbing himself through his pants with one hand while groping at the dead ninja's half-frozen tit with the other.

He seldom  _watched_  her kill, unable to risk getting that close to her, but today had been quite the euphoric exception.  _Fiore wasn't the only elite ninja with an advanced concealment jutsu up her sleeve_. He'd gotten a few glimpses of her from his hiding spot in the mountains.

Slipping his hand inside his pants, he recalled the first time he'd seen her that day, when she purposefully revealed herself to slit that Ember's throat in the middle of a busy street.  _What a playful girl, giving him a show like that! Artistry in motion!_

His hand stilled as he started to frown, thinking about the second time he'd seen her, when she fought those low-level Raze ninja.  _Why?_  He was  _sure_  she had a good reason, because in four years he'd never known his blood queen to do  _anything_  without good reason, but  _why?!_  Why let a disgusting  _pirate_ take part in her gorey creation process? And why did she seem so  _comfortable_  with the bastard?

His lips pulled back in displeasure. How long had  _that_  been going on? Ever since she disappeared several weeks back?

It wasn't uncommon for his clever kunoichi to throw him off her trail for a spell. She disappeared with no trace half the time, and he'd have to wait for whispers of her telltale brutality to reach him to pick up her trail. It was all part of a very fun game for him, anyway. And when he arrived on that small, worthless island a few days after her departure as usual, he thought it was simply another one of those times.

But then luck so dumb it seemed fated had led Ennio to overhear a loud-mouthed drunk bitching about how ' _pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro_ and a  _small purple-eyed bitch'_  ruined his reputation as a soldier. He used his kunai to get the drunkard to spill everything he knew before slitting a hole in his abdomen and fucking his steaming guts behind a dumpster. After that, it only took another few hours and a small amount of persuasive throat chakra to put some over-ambitious pirates under the illusion they'd win if they attacked the Straw Hat ship head on. He didn't even need to be present during the lopsided battle—if his lotus was with the Straw Hats when they were attacked,  _oh eeheh,_  he'd  _know_.

And sure enough, a handful of days later, he'd found that ill-fated pirate ship adrift with her signature art plastered over every surface. Her extensive, aggressive butchery aroused him so heavily that he boarded the ship in sheer appreciation of her handiwork, stroking himself and blowing his load into the wind before leaving the dead to putrefy under the hot sun and the half-dead to fester.

He realized he was pumping himself harder in memory of that, e _ehehe, lovely_  experience. Ennio pulled himself free from his pants, the icy air contrasting with his warm hand in a delightful way as he gazed down at the dead ninja and slipped his other hand inside her pants.

Following Fiore to this island required no special tracking ability. And since information spread among ninja like wildfire, word of her passage with those foul pirates and their next stop reached a handful of ears quickly. It irritated him not to have her whereabouts all to himself, but it also provided opportunity to actually  _see_  her paint crimson with those bold, heartfelt strokes of hers.

_Worth every second!_

And while her chakra signature had since blinked out again, presumably because she'd left the area, Ennio would find her again. As he always did.

But that was no matter for this moment, since a hearty reward for his patience awaited him. A few hours prior, the day had come to a crescendo right here on this very stretch of beach. She ripped through flesh, purposely cruel without being lethal. She splashed in their blood, tongue shamelessly sampling her medium from the flat of her kunai.

He grinned into the cold midnight air, thrusting into his fist as he sliced the dead woman's clothes away from her body with a kunai, not taking care to avoid her discolored, stiff flesh.

Was this little brunette's inviting corpse Fiore's way of making up for letting that foul green-haired bastard intrude on Ennio's intimate viewing of her creation process?

_Eeheh, apology accepted, naughty little hellcat._

 

* * *

 

Fiore's cheek stung, his open-handed slap ringing through her ears and jaw. The physical retribution was standard, but his tone… The edge in sensei Drav's voice tore at her as he repeated his chide, Chi darkening and chakra signature boiling. "I said  _drop it_ , Fiore."

The skittering of danger creeping down her spine didn't prevent her from returning his glare. "You know they—"

She rocketed across the garden, his familiar, chakra-laced punch cracking into her sternum and ricocheting through her skeleton as she skid to a stop on her back.

"Speak of this again, and you're liable to find yourself without a tongue." He disappeared in a puff of white smoke as she found her feet.

 _Damn ancient dirtbag._  Why was he defending the other Elders  _and_  trying to scare her off?  _Whatever._  She was running late.

_Late… She was late…_

Her legs took her across the island as they did every time she turned into a child again.

_Wait… This was..._

Her eyes took in the scenic shoreline as she travelled the edge of Fang territory, toward the strip of land connecting her home island with that of the Striker clan.

_Oh, no. Not this. Not again._

Her young feet carried her towards their usual meeting place,  _as they did every time_.

_Don't. Please, stop. Don't relive this._

Step by step, the unknowing kid Fiore brought herself closer to ruin.

_No no no! Wake up!_

She was closing in on the last bend of the path, unsuspecting.

 _Oh god, stop walking, kid, or you're gonna_ — _!_

Cold filled Fiore like cement in her veins as she approached their preferred climbing tree.

Her eyes were too good to be lying to her.

His body just…

Swung.

The short rope complained quietly as his body languidly turned on the breeze. It almost didn't look real.

 _Creak_. Looked like the cadavers they practiced sticking kunai into, except this one had Kai's face and body.

 _Creak_. His body turned. A very horrible, tormented version of him. At least the eyes were all wrong.

 _Creak._ Why, on  _that_ morning, did she have to be late?

 _Crea_ — "Fi…"

_Wha…_

"Oi." A firm hand jostled her. "Fi."

 _Someone said her name?_  No, not her name. Her nickname.  _She had a nickname now._ Right.

Heart pounding in her ears, Fi woke with a start, trying to sit up. The warmth surrounding her was confusing, dreamlike and familiar, disorienting as hell.

" _Ack!"_ Her cushion complained, wrapping a large hand behind her bent knee, adjusting the weight of her leg higher up his body.

"Oh!" Her senses came back to her with a little gasp. Around her, the crow's nest was faintly illuminated by moonlight and the small hours of dawn.  _Right._  She'd fallen asleep on Zoro. And she just accidentally planted her knee into his,  _ah,_   _goods_ , since her leg was still draped across his lap. " _Oop._ "

He slouched back again, his left hand releasing her knee to glide soothingly along her thigh, his other arm still encircling her waist. A tired chuckle and murmur rumbled his chest against her. "S'alright."

Relaxing into him, she tilted her head and found his dark, half-lidded eye peering down at her. Her stomach did a little flip-flop, his proximity reassuring but still thrilling, the paragon of a sight for sore eyes.

Even better, his groggy baritone vibrated through her body again. "Go back to sleep."

She shook her head and sat up more. His released her leg and his right arm slid down to loosely circle her hips as she rolled her shoulders and popped her neck several times. Even if she still felt exhausted, there was no way in hell she was going to fall asleep after that dream. Shifting to a more normal seat next to him, she gestured to her lap. "Let's switch. You're tired."

Noncompliant, his tired gaze narrowed, so she just wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and tugged his head to her thighs, meeting no resistance.

"Cut it out…" He complained feebly as he tipped over into her lap.

Warming Fi thoroughly, Zoro wasn't shy about making himself comfortable against her, rolling onto his stomach and turning his face into her. He reached both arms around her body, sliding one behind her hips and throwing the other across her front, and pulled her halfway down the couch in his attempt to turn her into a pillow.

He snored as soon as he stilled, mouth parted in a way that should, by all rights, be far less cute. Sleeping took a few years off his features and most of the grouchiness, but there was no mistaking the demon where he lay.

A smile pulled at her expression as she rest a hand on his head and thread her fingers through his seaweed hair.  _Soft marimo._

… _Ugh_. Pathetic. She was utterly pathetic these days. And  _honestly_ , what the hell was with all the damn cuddling on this ship?  _Tch._   _Pirates._

But,  _snap._ Everything about this foolish man drew her in. His layered strength. The simmering resolve to be the best. That discipline with which he trained. His unfailing self-possession. His dependable grouchiness.

His sincerity.

She fixed her sight on the water and the encroaching light of predawn, taking in the rare moments of stillness on the Sunny. Fi pondered their precipitous collision, eventually whispering concession to the snoring man in a sigh.

" _Damn you_."

 

* * *

  

Within the hour, Fi heard the soft pad of bare feet across the lawn deck.

The sneaky pirate ascended the rope ladder to the crow's nest almost as quietly as any ninja and then poked her head through the doorway, immediately meeting Fi's eyes and raised eyebrows.

 _Well._  Wasn't the Cat Burglar just as nimble as reputed?  _Noted_.

Nami silently stole partway across the room with a  _ridiculous_  grin that did  _not_  suit the hour of the day. She eyed the swordsman still snoring face-down in Fi's lap and spoke in a whisper. "I'm at the helm now, so watch is officially over. Get some sleep! And holy  _Beri!_  You two are cu~ _uute_!"

Fi shot her a warning frown that went utterly unheeded as the redhead stuck her tongue out and crept back to the exit, disappearing outside once again.

Taking care not to wake the man doing a stellar impression of actual marimo anchoring into her body, Fi slid down the couch and rotated, her back on the cushions and head on the armrest with Zoro snoring into the skin of her stomach, her shirt having ridden up with her movement. Wedging one leg under his obscenely heavy torso, she slid it to his other side and settled his dead weight more comfortably along her lower body,  _thoroughly_  enjoying him between her legs in any capacity.

With a steady exhale, firmly ignoring that it sounded suspiciously like a contented sigh, she again threaded her fingers into his spiky, ridiculously bedraggled hair and rubbed small circles into his thick traps with her other hand.

The unwelcome dreams may intrude again, but she was too damn tired and too fucking cozy to keep her eyes open.

Fi was asleep under her warm, burly swordsman within the minute.

 

* * *

  

_-Fiore, 8 years old-_

She departed the training grounds earlier than usual, locking herself in her room.

Fiore didn't change or wash up but merely fell onto her mat, face down, not moving for hours. There was no sleeping, just staring at the dull gray blanket under her but seeing Kai… She couldn't stop  _seeing it._

His body, just…

Hanging here.

Like some nightmare music box, all day, Fiore had alternated between replaying all her recent interactions and conversations with Kai in reverse. His limb body smacking the ground, seeing it swing like that, hearing his voice the night before as they walked together like usual.

His last words chilled her in hindsight.

Yesterday, on their way home from evening training, he'd told her he was leaving Wai'tu, their so-called ' _home.'_  He hadn't offered to take her along. She insisted she would never follow after him like some kid anyway. He'd given her a tolerant shake of his head, dark hair flopping around his ears like always, sapphire eyes laughing as always, reminding her she  _was_ a kid. If she was,  _he was too_ , she'd pointed out.

Saying goodnight, they'd parted at the isthmus connecting their respective home islands, that of Striker and Fang. And before she had fallen asleep that night, she reaffirmed it felt  _okay_  he was escaping without her. It was no secret between them that he didn't want this life despite how skilled he was for his age. Even the adults praised him.

She didn't particularly like this place, but unlike Kai, ninja life wasn't miserable for her. Not yet, at least.

She'd only really started integrated training that year, since she'd turned eight. Standard protocol.

Children selected for the lifestyle were reared within their clans for several years to mold the individual to exhibit traits required or simply desired by the respective clan. It was only after that they began dangerous training with other clans, rife with deadly situations resulting from the cut-throat competition and underhanded politics.

And before that, like a majority of ninja-in-training kids, Fiore had been taken, kidnapped, and thrust into this life without consenting to it around the age of five. As was later explained to her, ninjahood was an achieved rather than ascribed status.

Each clan utilized recruiter squads comprised of ninja with acute abilities for assessing the power and potential of others. They searched the world when clan numbers called for it, when their population pyramid demanded tweaking to stay competitive with the other clans. Any child not yet in their fifth year with a strong, innate sense of Chi or natural affinity for chakra was liable to be of interest. But ninja were highly selective, and such children were exceedingly rare finds in the expansive world.

Even if ninja mated with other ninja, unless those offspring showed the same promise as other child-recruits by age four or five, they were either forced into indebted servitude or abandoned, orphaned in unknown places and left to probably perish. And it was vastly more common to see babies born to ninja disappear rather than remain.

Fiore didn't really remember much of life before her own induction, but she remembered little bits, snapshots…

Frigid waters. Lightless sea. Occasionally emerging from the depths to find a landmass on which to crawl and eventually walk. Surfacing to wonder at the water falling from the sky in little droplets. She could vaguely recall one other presence, presumably her mother, fuzzy and faceless. Then… She was alone.

And alone. And alone. And alone.

As was half her nature, she'd later realized. Solitude wasn't so bad after the initial shock of parting with her progenitor. In fact, it took a full year to get lonely, and two years before she truly felt any instincts inherent to her human half. But eventually, she grew restless, started craving interaction beyond playing with her food.

That human instinct eventually led her to ninjahood; she ventured companionship. But to cross paths with elusive ninja meant Fiore had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

It had been her first lesson on bad timing.

Having been so young when it happened, and her brain's effort to suppress the scary events, she remembered it with some opacity.

First, there were feelings of curiosity about the big, dark shape far above on the water's surface. The creatures seemed friendly when she floated to the surface and swam near their ship, different that many humans who did  _not_  seem harmless. It wasn't until she was an adult that the lightbulb went off—they'd seemed benign because their chakra signatures had been concealed.

So, she had transformed and climbed aboard to join her equally curious counterparts. After she was on deck, one man whispered emphatically— _a child mermaid that could change her tail already?! How was that possible? But more importantly, how could they pass her up?_

Their expressions changed, and Fiore belatedly comprehended their dangerous nature. Instinctual fear took over. She made to flee, but a woman moved too fast, grabbing her so she couldn't jump in the water again. One of the strangers nodded to her compatriots, eyes forebodingly gleeful— _look she was practically reading their Chi!_

After that, it was a blur. She remembered fighting and realizing they were stronger.. And then she was crying  _and_  fighting. And she didn't stop doing either. Her captors only laughed and complimented her vigor. They praised her ability to feel intentions, to see their energy after the concealment jutsus dispelled. None of them were gentle or even careful, but most hits were pulled and followed with reassurance that it would be alright soon.

Fiore exhausted herself trying to get free, but she only stopped struggling after a few days of travel, when they met up with that damn old man,  _Drav_ , on an island she'd come to know as home base, for lack of a better term.

And after reaching Fang territory, that wind bag, Drav, declared she'd caught the eye of the Fang and thus belonged to them now, so she might as well see where it would lead. It took a while for her to comprehend his meaning, but it was his calm, grounded presence that really stopped Fiore's resistance. It was as if he had been giving her sincere advice.

Childish naiveté, it turned out, because that relic had only been a thorn in her side ever since. He'd done nothing but nag, beat her up, and then  _nag_ some more.

In those first weeks among ninja, she mostly recalled the overwhelming  _shock_  of living life on land full-time. But the Fang clan fed and clothed her. Lumped her with other frightened but adjusting young children. Fiore tried to escape to the ocean many times but was always caught and subdued. All children were under surveillance every second of every day. They were the precious future of the clan, after all. But as the other children grew complacent, Fiore grew bolder. The sanctions on trying to run got harsher. Hadn't mattered to her.

During one such effort to escape to the sea, she found herself in trouble with some non-Fang who just happened to see her. Ninja detested deserters more than anything else. She survived the painful encounter solely due to Drav's fortunate interference. 

It had been her second lesson on bad timing.

And Kai's death felt like yet another hard-learned lesson in timing. He died on that rope a handful of minutes before she arrived at their usual meeting place.

 _What if she had been on time?_ Or early? It wasn't out of the norm. Either one of them arrived before morning training, waiting for the other, climbing the tree from which he'd hung himself.

But not that morning.

That morning, Fiore had gotten caught up in an argument with that damn dumb grandpa.

 _That_  morning—w _hy_ did she have to be late  _that morning?_

By  _minutes_.

And so… He just…

Hung here.

The rope creaked as his body swayed a gentle circle in the balmy breeze.

Distorted, swollen, and hardly recognizable.  _Creak_. His body turned again. 

Anguish obvious. Forever only potential. Shining humanity twisted into something of Fiore's waking nightmare.

 _Creak_. His dead eyes.

Clotted and cloudy, sick blue eyes…

 _Creak_.

That's what trapped her.

_Creak._

Every time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo this is one of those chapters where I'm building scaffold, trying ideas to see what works and what doesn't, mostly for Fi's character.
> 
> Hope it was still enjoyable in some way for ya!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	15. Blood Sticks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update! Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I hope yall enjoy it!
> 
> More A/N ish at the bottom :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!

 

* * *

 

How was her hard, little body still  _so damn soft?_

With zero shame, Zoro nuzzled his face into the warm skin of her belly, her shirt having ridden up to reveal her grooved, silken midriff. He had no idea how he'd gone from sleeping with his head on her legs to sleeping with his body between them, but when he woke up with a gloriously thick-muscled thigh along each of his sides, he merely thanked his luck yet again and enjoyed every half-asleep second of it.

Fi laid under him on their couch with one hand tangled in his hair and the other resting on his upper back, and— _heheh,_  real quiet but  _still_ —she  _actually_  snored a little. She'd slept by him quite often, and he now knew her distinctive breathing pattern well, but he'd never heard her  _snore_ before. And fuck if it wasn't cute as hell.

The ninja really wasn't half as horrible when she was asleep,  _heh,_  if he wasn't dragging her off the couch by her ankle or otherwise gambling with his life.

Arms still encircling her narrow waist, he tightened his hold on her little body and sleepily mused that he was probably crushing her. It was easy to overlook her stature since her lofty attitude and tendency to perch in high places like some mouthy gargoyle— _probably_ don't _say that to her_ —generally offset her pixie-like size. But having her under him like this was an  _inspiring_  reminder of their size difference…

_Ah, well, best she got used to having his heavy weight bearing down on her._

Good thing he slept halfway down her body, 'cause this way, his straining morning wood pressed into the couch cushion and not her.  _Not that she'd mind, the little devil_ …

He idly kneaded the smooth skin of her back, pressing his fingertips into the lean muscles along her spine as he drifted in and out of consciousness…  _Mmmh…_  The feeling of powerful muscle under his hands was  _exhilarating_. Fi levelled the playing field. He'd be able to take her like he couldn't other women, wasn't gonna have to hold back.  _Heh,_  she'd get mad if he did.

Excessive equals was right, but shit, he was gonna have to be the responsible one even as he wanted to take her apart inch by dirty inch. She  _really_  didn't have any breaks to save her life **,** something he'd already realized and something the sadistic girl had thoroughly  _proved_  with all her mean chakra… And  _damn_ , yesterday, in that alley…

Scratching down his chest, pulling his hair… Drawin'  _blood_ … _Shiiiit… Don't think 'bout that, idiot…_

He let himself drift to sleep again, delirious with dirty thoughts about the girl under him, all perfect metal and violet… Tight tee shirt bunched above her navel, sweatpants riding tantalizingly low on her hips… He should cut all the offensive fabric off her.  _She'd like that, wouldn't she?_  A vision of his merciless ninja, two little horns sticking out of her wild hair, nodded at him.  _Fuck yeah she would._ He barely resisted the urge to nip at the taut skin of her belly or tug at the dual hoops piercing her belly button with his teeth… She had to be hiding more metal under her clothes, right? Her nipples were pierced, weren't they? He once thought he'd glimpsed the outline of one through her shirt.  _Such a mystery…_

Small but full and perky, perfect for his hands… He was strong enough to pin both her wrists above her head with just one hand, his other free to tease her plump little breasts, trail his fingers down her body and explore her… Play with her 'til she begged for more… Nibble down the same path and along her thighs… Hold her knees open and finally get a taste,  _mmmh so good…_  The bad little thing would take his unforgiving mouth 'til his name was a swear on her soft lips.

A small shiver ran through him as he imagined it yet again, how they'd  _fit_. He was,  _well_ … And she was a fraction his size. With his thickness and length, anatomically, it just…  _Hnnnnggg…_

Her strength and pain tolerance were really fuckin' reassuring, 'cause with the way her hips swelled so invitingly and all the damn incitement that rolled off her velvety tongue _,_ he had the most primitive instinct to just fuckin' mount her and  _completely_  fill her… Make the goddamn girl squeal and scratch…  _Mmmm,_ 'cause if she wanted to be overpowered, he was more than obliging… Drive her hard and slow, 'til she lost her cool and took it out on him, 'til she couldn't say anythin but his fuckin' name _. Good girl, Fi, say it again for_ —

His pillow shifted, and his eye blinked back open.

D-dammit. More half-asleep dirty dreamin' again.  _Relentless._  Andhe wasn't in his bunk, was still in the crow's nest. Still sleeping on Fi.  _W-wait…_

 _Ohgoddammit_ — _still sleepin' on Fi!_

What the fuck was  _wrong_ with him!? He couldn't have dirty dreams about Fi while  _layin'_  on her!

The little purple-haired devil on his shoulder whispered that she'd fucking  _love it._

 _Was he droolin'?!_ This wasn't okay!  _For fuck's sake, Zoro! Stop!_

Good thing she was still snoozin' with those cute snores, only having moved in her sleep. But she was going to wake soon. He knew her pattern well.

Lifting his head slightly, he assessed the damage.  _Ah, yeah._  was definitely spit on her skin. It'd even soaked into the tail of her shirt, too.  _Shit._  He put his cheek back down, resigned to thirsting in a puddle of his own drool.

Remaining still, he enjoyed the last few minutes of peaceful, sleeping ninja. Her breathing changed gradually, small snores getting less frequent. She shifted again, this time with a little noise of complaint. Her fingers moved in his hair in an unexpectedly tender way as the hand on his back pressed him close, even though his weight already sank into her.  _Mhh._  If only she was this sweet when she was awake.

 _Pffftt._ Not even if hell froze over.

She stirred and stretched this way and that, waking up slowly. But too soon, her muscles locked up, probably conscious that she wasn't alone.

He lifted his head to look up her body— _oiiii goddamn, what a fuckin' view_ —just in time to see her gem eyes pop open wide, finding his gaze immediately. Well,  _fuck._ That owlish look was so cute it was downright awful _._  He scowled a little as she tried to find her bearings, blinking at him and trying to fry his brain with her unreasonably adorableface and probably some ninja shit _._

But the circles under her eyes were still too damn dark. And she didn't normally wake up  _this_  slow—she was a cheeky little monster, sometimes even before opening her eyes. The girl may have been deceivingly kitten-like that morning but only because she was still exhausted. He watched her grasp for her usual alertness and felt compelled to ground her, hoping she took the roughness in his voice as grogginess. "Can't believe someone so small snores so big."

Her uncertainty warped into a sleepy, grumpy frown as she shut her eyes once more and grumbled vague disagreement. Her hand moved in his hair again but only to press his face down into her belly. He attempted to resist and push back against her hand, prompting her to hold his head down more firmly in a clear attempt to  _suffocate him_  against her body!

"The fu— _mphf!_ " Zoro mumbled protest into her skin and struggled in her grip, her only response another woolly noise of dissent. He strained against her unreasonably strong hold for a few more seconds before nipping her belly in warning, ignoring that it made his hard, leaking cock twitch to do so, and forcefully outmuscling her. He pushed to his forearms with a glare, but  _fresh hell,_ the view from his position down her body was seriously  _not_ relieving him one bit!

She opened her eyes lazily and stared down at him, heavy-lidded and humming in disapproval again.

His answering frown probably wasn't convincing. Sleepy Fi was kind of amazing, even if the reason for her drowsiness wasn't good. But next time she was this fuzzy, he'd sure as hell make it for a worthy reason.  _Multiple_  reasons accompanied by bowed legs and a sore throa—

"Wha…" Her brow creased as she raised her head off the armrest and then released his hair to touch her stomach and shirt tentatively. Her eyes found his again, natural, bad-tempered spark returned.  _Busted._ "You  _drooled_  on me."

He gave her a wide grin. "Can't help it. My dreams were  _great_."

" _Ugh..._ " She wiped at his spit with her palms, livelier as she attempted to smear it in his hair. "Well  _here_ , take it back."

" _Hey!_ " He complained, quickly dipping his head left then right to dodge her slimy hands. "Gross! Quit it!"

"Hold still and let me—"  _Grrrrrrrr_. Her stomach complained loudly between them. An enticing pink dusted her cheeks as she settled for drying her sticky hands on the tee-shirt covering his shoulders, unamused. "Insufferable pirate."

He chuckled, but it died out as he remembered why she hadn't had much of her dinner. "The shit-cook saved ya something. Well, 'less Luffy got it by now."

When he made to sit up, she gripped his shoulders to hold him in place as her sulky expression slipped into something of her more typical mischief.  _There she is._

She bent her left knee, the one between him and the back of the couch, seductively sliding her leg along his side. Their weight shifted only slightly, but it was more than enough to highlight their painfully evocative position. Just a little farther down, and his face would be… He was truly afraid the button of his painfully tight pants would pop off.

His gaze narrowed as he watched her pretty eyes.  _This wasn't gonna go well for him, was it?_

"I think I'll keep you between my legs for now." She pulled her second leg over him, playful despite her lingering fatigue. Heat seeped through him as her convincing fingers stroked down the sides of his neck. "Hungry,  _Zo~ro?_ "

" _Che."_ A thrill shot through him, 'cause  _hell yes, so hungry_. He couldn't get enough of the girl's bravado. But he was on a mission to make her unravel first. "You are gettin' way ahead of yourself this mornin'."

" _Hhm._ " Accompanied by a lifted eyebrow, her hum was distinctly snide. "I think you're confused." Sparks tingled through his skin where she touched, her hands sliding along his broad shoulders and drifting down his upper back. "I'm not ahead—you're not keeping up with me."

His tone was unavoidably huskier. "I'm warnin' ya, half-pint, you're—" She cut him off with an evil smirk, and too late he realized she'd slipped her left foot under his right hip. Before he could decipher her next move, he was propelled upward, her hand twisting his shoulders to roll him off her.

In a blur, he was flipped off the couch and airborne, staring at the ceiling of the crow's nest until his back smacked the floor next to the couch, the air knocked out of him. " _Oomf!_ "

Fi rolled off the couch at the same time, intentionally landing on top of him with far more force than her small size should allow by concentrating her weight into her palms right over his damn diaphragm, expelling the remaining air from his lungs.

" _HUUUU_ — _"_ He wheezed, using his last hiss of breath to curse her. "— _you bitcchh!"_

Her knees landed on either side of him as she peered down at him with a victorious smirk. "Always so  _slow_ , Zoro."

His hands shot to her wrists and lifted them so he could get some goddamn air, sucking in a painful breath for the sole purpose of swearing at her some more.  _"Why don't ya just use some fuckin' chakra while you're at it!?"_

" _Tempt~ing._ " She sang smugly from her position above.

 _This goddamn_ depraved _girl!_ Her hungry guile had a tired, terrifying edge as she traced a teasing pattern up and down his chest. Just as he opened his mouth to insult her again, she wantonly moved her weight down his body and sank her hot center onto his ever-present hard on, sitting back into her hips, bearing her weight down on him and—

_Oh, s-shit!_

His hands flew from her wrists to her hips, lifting her enough to stop her from  _grindin'_  on him any harder! He gripped her roughly, fully prepared to  _throw her across the fuckin' room_. He took back every single thought about her  _ever_ being even a  _little_ sweet! She was  _pure fuckin' evil!_ But why the fuck did he have to like it so goddamn much?!

"You—" He cleared the unreasonable lust from his throat, hanging onto his mind by mere fingertips, close to plummeting with her into filthy mayhem. "—are  _pure fuckin' evil!_ "

"How sweet." Far too self-satisfied, she watched his mouth without a shred of shame. "I was right. You  _do_  look good on your back."

He growled, silently vowing to fuck the conceit right outta her one day.  _Well, ya fuckin' asked for her worst, dumbass._  "You just  _wake_ up thishorrible, don't ya?" But,  _shit…_ He could still appreciate the sight of her above him, looking agonizingly good and all confident up there, right?He swallowed excess saliva, mouth watering.

A little shrug lifted her shoulders momentarily, eyes taking in the movement of his throat. Her smirk faded as her lips parted with a breathy exhale. "It wouldn't take much to appease me, you know..."

" _Che_ —oh  _yeah_?" He raised his eyebrows, gripping her hip bones a little harder, fulling expecting this to get more difficult for him. "And what's that?"

"I just want one small thing…" Her hands glided down the front of his tee-shirt until her fingertips hooked into the waistband of his pants, her dirty grin doing all the implying as she paused for confirmation to continue.

" _Mmh,_ " He hummed roughly, smirking right back at her as he pictured the look on her face when she  _did_ finally— _shit, no, don't think 'bout that!_ Sensing his weakening will, she moved against him again and  _double shit_ — _get it together, Zoro!_ At least his grip remained strong, lifting her weight just a little more and still working on clearing his goddamn head. "Hate to break it to ya, but that's no small thing."

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and supporting her weight hand over hand, slowly leaned closer to his face. She hovered over him all wild-eyed like a cat with a kill. "Now,  _now._  Don't get my hopes up just to disappoint me like the other pirates I've fucked."

A real lick of anger accompanied the growl that tore from him as he abruptly bolted up to a seat, taking her with him, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist and the other hand fisted the hair at the back of her head. There was  _no fuckin' way_  he should let her get away with even  _thinking_ to compare him to her shitty past exploits! Such  _insolence_.He should make her swallow those infuriating words— _as if he was just anyone!_

He  _knew_  those words were designed to try his tolerance, like damn near every other incisive syllable outta her mouth. And he wanted nothing more than to take the bait. Stay close and taunt her, taste her skin. Mar her unblemished throat, fully exposed with the way he pulled her head back by her hair.

Fleeting shock parted her lips with a little  _o_  as her hands found purchase on his shoulders. Straddling his lap like this, she was so fuckin' tempting.

But it was too precarious this morning. His dirty dreams were too fresh. The impression of their devouring kiss was still dangerous. If she kept pushing, which she fuckin'  _would_ , he was gonna pin her to the ground and ruin her right fuckin' then and there!

_Slow down, idiot._

She may have looked good on top of him, but she was gonna look even better under him. On  _her_ back. Ass up. Six ways to Sunday. Didn't matter to him; whatever got her writhing in the sheets, moaning some goddamn deference beneath him… Get his hands on the dimples of her low back, grip her thick ass so hard she bruised…

_Chill, goddammit!_

Exhaling, he closed his eye and slumped forward to rest his forehead on her shoulder, fighting his painful need to ravage her.

In due time,she wasn't gonna walk right for goddamn  _days_.

Loosening his grip on her hair but keeping his fingers tangled in the bird's nest, he opened his eye and raised his head off her again, meeting her amethyst gaze and of  _course_  finding her fiery. Sin had replaced her surprise, the lovely blush on her cheeks having deepened and spread down her neck. For the moment, she sat uncharacteristically still. Well,  _well._  At least the little thing could tell when he was serious.  _Che._  Wouldn't last long.

Before she could cause him any more grief, he lifted her weight with the arm around her waist and simultaneously bent his knees, crossing his legs so he could push to a stand in one swift motion. He lifted her with him and set her on her feet, releasing her and stepping back to adjust his goddamn pants.

 _Heh._ Felt like he'd unlocked some kinda new ability, being able to put that dazed look on her face so easily now. But she schooled her expression as usual and huffed in annoyance, straightening her clothes, too. "You really don't know how to have  _any_  fun, seaweed."

He frowned at her. "S'called payback, purple."

" _Whatever._ " She turned to look out over the bright blue ocean as she stretched her arms over her head and arched her back, twisting this way and that to crack her joints. "I almost had you."

"Better luck next time." Unfortunately for her, the tail of her already ruffled shirt rode up again, this time high enough to reveal the tips of a sickly-looking bruise. " _Oi._  What the hell is that?"

She shot him a confused look until she saw the trajectory of his gaze. "What's… Oh. That."

Grabbing the left hem of her shirt, he raised his eye to hers expectantly, raising an eyebrow when she didn't comply right away. She tolerated him as well as she did all Chopper's treatment or exams. First, there was the melodramatic eye-roll, followed by the long-suffering sigh, and then came the thinly veiled petulance. After the routine, she finally raised her arm away from her body to give him access, resigning herself with the usual martyred pout.

Unfazed, he pulled her shirt upwards and inspected the damaged skin and damn  _gnarly_  bruise above her waist, stretching across her ribs and disappearing around to the front and back of her body. "Ya know internal bleeding is a thing, right?"

Cue another deeply suffering sigh. "It's fine."

He raised his critical eye to hers. "Cause ya showed Chopper, the  _doctor_ , and he said so?"

" _Yes_ , actually." She narrowed her gaze in general annoyance.

Tugging her shirt down with a frown, he considered that he may not wanna know what the fuck happened, not after her casual talk of getting chewed on by a fishman. "Get hit by a sea-train or somethin' else insane, shark bait?"

She pursed her lips, unimpressed with the nickname. "A chakra punch."

"Don't bitch when your spleen  _stops_." He may not have been the swordsman of safety, but hell, he just  _knew_  she was gonna be worst of 'em all. "Poor Chopper. One shitty little ninja is gonna double his work."

"It missed my stitches." She pointed out defensively. Her mood shifted a little as she cocked her head, that cute half smile crossing her features. "You could kiss all my injuries better if you wanted to lighten his load."

" _Che._ " He shook his head and again ignored the way his dick throbbed  _godfuckingdammit_. "Not all of us enjoy the taste of blood like you."

"I'm  _positive_  that does not apply—"  _Grrrrrrr._ Her stomach growled again. "—to you." Instead of blushing this time, her tone become one of queenly demand. "You're right that Luffy's probably snuck into the galley by now, and since you wasted my time with your prudishness…" She reached for one of his hands, jostling his arm twice to punctuate her ludicrous decree. "Feed me."

 _Wha… What?!_ His expression faltered as he watched her. That wasn't at  _all_ what he'd been expecting. But Luffy probably  _had_  eaten all the leftovers by now. He scratched at the back of his head. "I,  _uh,_  I can make… Do ya want,  _ah,_  toast?"

She eyed him a few beats too long, giving him enough time to internally squirm. "Toast, huh?"

Even though this was probably a trap, she definitely looked too damn tired still. With the night she'd had, and with a growling stomach, she really did need to eat. He reminded himself just how cute she'd been a few minute ago when she was still asleep. "Um, well, probably I could make you some toast, yeah."

She pressed her lips together, clearly trying not to smile as her eyebrows shot up. " _Probably?_ "

" _Never mind._ " He growled, regretting the offer as he pulled his hand out of hers and turned away, trying to be causal despite his hot cheeks. He fixed his gaze on the ocean beyond the window. "Go ask curly-brow, idiot."

 _Where the fuck was his brain?!_  He shoulda said that first,  _duh!_  He wasn't the goddamn chef of the ship! And what the fuck was she askin'  _him_ for anyw—

Her light peel of laughter cut off his internal crisis, and he couldn't help but glance her way. His ears felt extra hot, his body experiencing some kinda fluttery, tizzy  _hell_ as he eyed her elusive, wide smile. She high-key beamed by her standards, those muddling, magnetizing eyes landing on his again."What  _fun._ "

Flames licked his whole face. " _I fuckin' hate you_." He snatched up her hand again and tugged her along to the door, willfully ignoring how easily she fell into step with him.

They stepped out onto the balcony and into the balmy sea breeze, leaving the nest together. They'd left behind the winter climate just as fast as they'd approached it, thankfully, with the sun high and warm. He watched from the side of his eye as Fi tilted her face to the sun, eyes falling closed and corners of her lips curling up into that gentle fucking smile. It was impossible to  _unsee_  how the bright day brought out all the lighter shades of violet in that dumb, distracting hair of hers. How her eyes, after they popped open and landed on his again, glinted with all the facets of the jewels Nami liked to steal.

"So, you're making me toast?"

And with expected swiftness, she reminded him that she was genuinely  _terrible_.

 _This witch._  "M'definitely  _not_. You just better hope the rubber monkey didn't eat your breakfast." He turned and made to climb down the rope ladder, mumbling to himself and glaring at Fi. "S'what I get for offerin'...  _So_  much better when she's sleepin'…"

She hopped up onto the balcony railing as usual, but her teasing grin slipped away as she pressed the heel of her hand into her forehead and  _actually_  wavered. It was a minor motion but enough for Zoro to freeze and stare wide-eyed, momentarily confounded until his observation haki sharpened reflexively.

_Shit._

He'd gotten too distracted, caught up in their endless spar. Because even her Chi, haki, whatever the hell she called it, was worn out and too mute. "Oi, maybe you should—"

She merely held up a hand to wave off his concern as she stepped back down to the balcony and moved to  _follow him down the ladder_  instead. She must be  _thoroughly_  out of sorts if she wasn't hopping around in her usual, chakra-powered way.

He just stared dumbly for another beat, prompting her to frown and shoo him along. "Well? Move it, pirate."

A weary feeling settled in him, but he started to climb down again, with her following  _slowly_. He hadn't thought she knew the meaning of slow in the first place.  _Concerning..._

"Enjoying your view?" She grumped from above.

"Thoroughly." He scowled as his feet hit the deck, but his eye remained turned up to her, definitely watching her fine ass but also dissecting the subtle lack of fluidity in her movements. It wasn't anything conspicuous, but to his eye _…_

She was halfway down the ladder when she  _slipped_.

He stood directly under her, having anticipated it despite his disbelief that she was unsteady in the first place, so he simply took a step to the side and held his arms out in front of his body. He easily caught her slender frame, hooking his arms behind her shoulders and knees with enough give to prevent any whiplash.  _Though maybe she could use some!_  Was this a common thing for her? This reminded him far too much of when she half-starved herself, refused to sleep, and nearly fuckin' froze to death on the deck a while back; reminded him how she always did backflips and other risky shit along the railings and rigging when she thought no one was paying attention.

Glaring down at the unnatural fog on her features, he had to wonder what the fuck kind of warped reality he'd found himself in when the  _always_  poised and exceedingly arrogant Fang fuckin' Fiore  _slipped_  and  _fell?_ "I can't believe you wore yourself out this bad!" He grouched.

"Wha _…_ " She blinked up at him, fighting the residual confusion. "I,  _ah_ , hell…" Pink tinged across the bridge of her nose, big eyes staring up at him with anomalous self-consciousness that didn't match her nonchalant words. "I suppose it's a good thing you were staring at my ass, huh?"

"More like a good thing I've figured out you're a  _careless idiot_." He bitched, but her attention was taken by something beyond him before she raised her hand to give a half-hearted wave of both greeting and dismissal.

Zoro turned to see Brook and Robin watching with concern from the garden deck where they'd probably been blathering and tending the flowers together.  _Good_. There were other witnesses of Fi's lack of self-preservation. The skeleton would spread the info; maybe the others would give her shit for it, too.

"Does this mean you'll make me some toast now?" She ventured, her voice pulled his gaze back to her face as he processed her words.

" _Che!_ " He dropped her legs and plopped her back onto her feet— _she could just fall on her face for even askin' again_! " _No._ " He growled, pretending his arm wasn't still around her shoulders to make sure she was steady. Soon as she stopped wobbling, he took off for the galley again.

"Come  _ooooon_. I want toast." She groused from behind, following along as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Quit whinin'." He made a sour face. "Ya sound like Luffy. S' _creepy._ "

Her slight weight hit him as she hopped up onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He automatically caught her, hands gripping behind her knees. The casual, full-bodied contact admittedly calmed his mood as he continued toward the galley. She was dangerous up close like this, but it also made her a little easier to handle, easier to read. Be nice if this type of thing was their new norm—he could admit to being a hands on kinda guy. And having his hands all over Fi all the time sounded…  _Necessary._

She spoke teasingly close to his ear, a tingle following her warm breath as it fanned down his neck. "Please?"

 _Goddammit_. The devil needed some toast?  _Fine._   _Fine!_  "Try sounding a bit more…  _desperate._ "

" _Hm_ , I could always drown you instead." She mused, a seductive edge dominating her tone, the idea probably turning her on.

He clicked his tongue in disapproval as he walked down the hall toward the kitchen, making a mental note to instill some damn  _manners_  in her. She'd learn quickly enough—wasn't gonna get a damn thing from him 'til she got used to asking  _nicely!_

She dropped her head into the crook of his neck, smiling against his skin a few moments before brushing the shell of his ear with her lips, tone breathy. " _Please_ ,  _Zo~ro?_ "

" _Well._ I was right, too."Trying to convince himself she couldn't read his mind with a response a little  _too_  perfect, he nudged the galley door open with his foot and then unceremoniously dropped her by a barstool on his way to the kitchen. "Prayer suits ya."

" _Mh-hm._ " She slid on the stool, agreeing sardonically but sparing him a keen grin as she pulled two plates closer to herself. One plate already had its foil cover pulled away, revealing nothing but crumbs.  _Luffy._ No mystery there. Fi turned the aluminum down to show ' _gorilla'_ scrawled in messy black marker. The other plate was untouched, a large  _'Fiore'_  in neat script across the foil, the ' _i_ ' dotted with a fancy-looking heart.  _Stupid shit cook._

Speaking of, he sincerely hoped that asshat was preoccupied somewhere. Twirly-brow had some annoyingly acute sense for knowing when someone,  _ah,_  unauthorized was in his kitchen. Maybe Fi's presence would mask his for long enough to try to make some shitty toast.

_Only this purple-haired witch…_

Five minutes and a few charred pieces of bread later, Zoro sat at the counter next to Fi, sharing her plate of food and biting on some black toast. The terrible girl was practically fuckin'  _giggling_  at him about the flames that had shot out of the toaster, scrambling him with her typical shitty ninjutsu and cute face, when the idiot blonde showed.

He strode in, eyes narrowed at Zoro before cajoling the girl next to him with that dumb lovesickness he wished would kill the asshole already. "Good morning, sweet ninja!"

"Morning." Fi offered him a subdued smile in return. "Thank you for the breakfast."

"You are  _so_ wel~ _cooome_  my lovely  _vi~o~let_   _swaaan!_ " He twirled around himself enthusiastically before bowing in front of Fi. "I made sure Luffy knew better than to touch  _your_  food. Glad to see you found it!" All too quickly, he snapped his head to Zoro, dropping the facade entirely and eyes icy. "What did I  _tell_  you, you extra primitive,  _actual_  grivet?!  _No more toast!_  It's a waste of perfectly good bread when you set it on fire like that!"

He screwed up his expression. "How the fuck d'ya know it was—"

"It's  _burnt_ , dumbass!" Sanji screeched, pointing at his nose. He managed to even  _calm down_  dramatically, inhaling deeply as he opened and closed his hands towards his face in an emulative gesture. He settled and turned to Fi again. "My  _dearest_ , please allow me to make you something else. Let brain-rot eat that coal."

Fi bit her bottom lip, side-eyeing Zoro. " _Please_. This is horrible."

" _What!?_ " He hissed, his whole face heating with dismayed animosity as he swiveled on his stool to square up to her. "You the one who fuckin'—" He felt his pulse throb in his head. "I didn't even  _wanna—_!"

" _Oh-hoho_!" She chuckled as she squeezed and then patted his shoulder. "Calm  _down,_  seaweed. I'm still messing with you. It's delicious." Her eyes flicked to the shit cook again. "Thanks anyway, Sanji. I like my toast well-done."

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest, debating who to cut first and not soothed at  _all_  by her warm hand rubbing a little circle into the back of his shoulder. "Ungrateful witch…"

He determined best to start by slicing the asshole cook into nine hundred pieces as the fool smiled all  _tenderly_  at the diabolical girl, giving her a gentle  _look_  before glaring at him again. "Watch your mouth, shithead. Fiore is far more generous a lady than you deserve." He waved towards the kitchen as he turned to left. "I left two glasses of juice in the fridge, Fi-swan. It'll help wash down the ash."

"Thank you." Fi called after him but kept her gaze on Zoro's. "Don't look at me like that. I really do like it."

She gave him that half-smile that she gave no one else, an expression that was already,  _embarrassingly,_  running and ruining his fuckin' life. He simply frowned harder and chomped on whatever fruit remained on their plate.

Despite his irritation and her odd mix of humor and fatigue, a familiar, restful silence settled around them as they finished eating. They cleared the counter and washed up, side by side, Fi scrubbing their dishes and Zoro drying them. He  _really_  tried not to acknowledge the coziness of doing domestic shit with her. It was truly an obnoxious thing to feel with  _any_  of the crew, but it felt extra awful to like it that much more when it came to a feisty little  _murder_ machine.

He was still wondering what way she'd end up killin' him when they finished cleaning up. She turned to him and lit him up with those big, bright eyes, leaning her hip into the counter by the sink. "Thanks for the charcoal."

He mirrored her position but folded his arms over his chest, unimpressed. "Not lettin' that go, are ya?"

"Not a chance." She glanced down bashfully before looking up through her lashes and shocking his executive function for a second. "And for… Taking watch last night."

"Yeah,  _yeah._ " His lips pulled down in distaste, simultaneously electrified yet not entirely sure how to respond to thanks for such a thing. What kind of man would he be if he  _didn't?_  And anyway, he'd greedily take every inch she gave him. He wanted it all. Still eyeing her, he razed her in roundabout reassurance. "Still can't believe ya snore like that. Fit right into the men's quarters."

She rolled her eyes, back to usual again. "Says the man who  _slobbered_ all over me." Cocking her head to the side just so, that flicker of beautiful, troublesome curiosity came to life in her features. "What kind of dream made you drool like that?"

The gnawing hunger rose and almost overwhelmed him as her moans of approval from his dreams echoed in his mind again. He ignored his warm ears and peered down at her for a minute, absorbing her every breath and minute twitch, not quite conscious of the way he slowly shook his head as he imagined all the ways he'd take her apart and make her whole.

_In due time._

Her chest rose sharply with a muted gasp as she read his corrupt intent. Those amethyst irises darkened and then nearly disappeared as her pupils grew.  _That's it, Fi._

He no longer denied his instinct to toy with her, slowly tracing his index finger along her collarbone. He reveled in the texture of her silky skin interrupted here and there by a few small, enthralling scars. Her body complied, a rose appearing behind his fingertip, giving him the blush he wanted. _Heh, good girl._

Just his gaze and a light tough, and she was blooming for him again. Just like when he kissed her.  _Did she think about it a lot, too?_ He'd raise that bet; yes, yes she did.

His finger trailed along her shoulder and down her arm, unhurried, over her narrow wrist and back up. She didn't break the sultry tension yet, probably waiting to see where he'd take it.  _Che,_  he gave that good behavior another twenty seconds, max.

"She was better than a fine dark rum." His finger drew a lazy line up her throat, eliciting a slight shiver from her.  _Such a responsive thing_. "Sharp and sweet..." He held her chin firmly and leaned down to her ear, tugging at the small, silver hoops with his lips. "A little salty like the sea…" Lust laced his low drawl, but he didn't give a fuck, not after her earlier brashness. Not with what it was doing to her. "And  _creamy_."

Zoro stood tall again and she, for  _once,_  didn't run her damn mouth, looking a bit stunned.  _Mmh,_   _yeah_. He was most definitely proud of his newfound ability to do that to her, pleased with the charming heat on her cheeks as she probably deliberated throwing him down on the kitchen floor and clawing him to ribbons. God.  _Damn._

Satisfied, he released her with a smirk and stepped around her, departing with a casualness he didn't really feel. "Well, time to train."

"You are…" She growled, head snapping to him with fierce, murderous face. "The  _worst_."

"I keep hearing that." He pushed the galley door open, looking away and grinning like an idiot. "Don't worry—you'll get used to it."

" _Ugh!_ " She snarled just loud enough to carry out to him. " _I really fucking hate you."_

Trying to stifle his goony smile, he rubbed his hand over his face and then his hair as he moved,  _ah,_   _swiftly_  out to the lawn deck. He knew better than to stay within her reach and line of sight. And once topside, he immediately snagged his three swords, just in case.

_Heh._

This was gonna be a long four weeks at sea for his impatient little ninja.

* * *

 

_Daaaamn!_

His belly was so full!

Luffy had spent earlier that morning trying to ninja— _nin-nin!_ —into the galley, where the  _leftovers_ lived! But,  _shishishi,_   _man_! He couldn't get past his cook's haki at  _all_  these days! He'd only eaten Zoro's plate before he was caught and kicked. But even if Sanji hadn't caught him, he wouldn't have stolen Fi's food.  _Shishi_ , he wasn't interested in mutiny!

Finishing up and flushing, Luffy stepped out of the toilet under the stairs by the men's quarters, speaking out loud to no one but the Sunny as he pat his belly triumphantly. " _Wheew!_  What a good poop!"

Plopping a hand on top of his head, he angled his hat to better shade his eyes as he turned them up the big yellow sun in the big blue sky.  _Yosh!_ His favorite time of day!

He grinned back at the sun, observation haki in focus as he decided his first stop of the afternoon.

Noodling his arms across the deck to the stairwell leading down into the ship, his finger-tips curled around the door-frame and then  _zoom!_ He flunghimself top speed down into the Sunny's lower level!  _Zoooom!_

A heap of scrap metal met him head-on, making for a loud crash landing.  _Shishishi, ouch!_ He rolled over and plucked a sharp, rusty nail from his ass.  _Good thing Chopper was giving him all those shots!_

" _Oww!_ " Franky complained without looking up from where he hunched over his workbench in the corner. He was seated on a tiny stool about to buckle under his massive form, headlamp and loupe glasses fixed on a tiny metal gadget in his big hand's small hands.

 _Robot stuuuff!_ Luffy felt like he levitated out of the scraps. "Whatcha  _doin'_ Franky?!" He stretched his neck, craning his head over each of his friend's humongous shoulders in turn. "Robot stuff?"

"Aye, robot stuff." His fiddling didn't stop even as he spoke; Franky had the best concentration ever!

"What  _kiiiinda_  robot stuff?  _Oh!_ " An exciting idea struck him, eyes widening, stars shining. "Finally adding those lasers to your eyes?!"

"Maybe."

" _AW REALLY?! COOOOOL!_ "

" _Kakaka…_  Nah, not yet." He chucked, still working. "My homeostatic regulation module wasn't working so  _suuuuper_  in the winter weather of the last island."

Luffy's excitement waned with the prospects of laser eyes, but he nodded and scratched his chin thoughtfully as a familiar vacancy filled his mind. "Home state regular model?" Those words put together like that had  _no_  meaning at  _all!_  His shipwright was amazing! "A mystery, then."

"My balls got  _suuuper_ cold on that frozen island." He simplified. "But nothing some good ol' fashioned tinkering can't fix!"

" _Ah!_  Cold balls?! No good!" He chanted encouragement. "Tin-ker! Tin-ker!"

He left Franky to his dongling and slinked into the next room where Usopp mixed up some bubbling, reddish-lookin' slime in one of those skinny, glass science tubes he wasn't allowed to touch.  _Ooooooh maaan!_ Sop was totally zoned out!Luffy's lips curled up, feelin' the glimmer of malice in his expression.  _Shi-shi-shiiiii_ … He crept up behind his prankster sniper, quiet as possible before hollering from right behind him at top volume.

" _HEYUSOPPWHATCHADOIN'!_ "

" _AAACCKKKK!_ " Shivers crawled along Usopp's skin as he jumped straight up into the air with a hilarious squawk!

Luffy grabbed his sides, in stitches. " _Aahshishishishi!_ I got ya! Got ya good! _"_

" _Oi,_ Luffy! Careful!" Sweat formed on his brow as he peered at him through clear, bulky safety goggles. "Delicate operations are in process down here! Don't sneak up on a guy working with the world's hottest hot sauce!"

"You look like such a dork,  _shishi_ , even worse than Franky!  _Oooh,_ are ya making more of those spicy skully greens? Don't catch your hair on fire this time,  _shishishi!_ "

"That was  _your_  fault that time too, idiot!" He complained, turning back to his work. "I'm making an even  _better_  version of my skull pop greens. Once I perfect the formula, one of these babies will be potent enough to take out an entire Marine fleet."

Luffy watched as he carefully poured the contents of one vial into another, the liquids mixing and turning an appetizing orange. Tongue flopping out of his mouth, he started to drool. " _Yuuuuum_ , looks like Nami's tangerine juice!"

"Don't even  _think_  about it; a concentrated dose like this would kill a sea king. It's so strong it might even be hazardous to Zunisha!" He warned. "Have I ever told you about the origin of these babies?"

After listening to Sop's story about the time he single-handedly thwarted a 1,000-pirate heist in Syrup Village with his original tabasco star that inspired the skull pop greens, Luffy catapulted himself back up the stairs and out to where the most colorful duo of all his crew had appeared topside.

Gettin' a rise outta his first mate was never a bad idea! He scratched at his side idly, armpit itching weird as he corrected himself— _never a bad idea_ ninety _percent of the time!_ He sniffed his fingers, vaguely noting the salty, gamey smell.  _Nice!_  He probably had a few more days before Nami forced him to bathe!

Swinging his arms casually, he strolled over to his swordsman. Zoro did handstand pushups near the foremast, weights and barrels stacked onto his upturned feet. It was the same routine he'd always done, but now he grunted lots more and did other weird stuff, actin' more n' more like Franky!

 _Shishi_. 'Course he was.

Luffy  _very_  maturely resisted the urge to climb on top of the mountain of crap piled above Zoro. Mostly 'cause Zoro might tie his limbs around the foremast in all those fancy knots again. Instead, he slooped his neck down, plopping the top of his head on the lawn deck and peering into Zoro's open eye from a few centimeters away, smiling broadly in greeting.

"Hey, cap'n." Zoro grunted without ceasing his exercise, pushing up before lowering, bringing their faces farther and then closer again.

"Always gotta take all your clothes off to train now, don't cha? It's not even that hot though! Just 'cause you're showin' off for F—"

Barbells, barrels, and Zoro's cussing rained down in a chaotic upsurge, burying them under a mountain of heavy things.

" _Shishishishi!_  You haven't fallen over like that in a while!" Luffy poked his head out from under the pile. "It's been  _zero_  days since ya had a training accident! I'll tell Chopper to reset the count!"

"Don't blame me!" Zoro barked as he too popped his head out of the pile of weights next to Luffy. "It's 'cause a certain rubber bastard was gettin' in my face!"

"Really?" He turned to grin all squinty-eyed straight into the face of the grumpy-grass. "I figured it was 'cause I was callin' ya out for always flexin' in front of F—!"

" _Oi!_ " Zoro's eye widened as he grabbed Luffy's face and squeezed his lips shut in his fist, clamping his mouth closed. "I will  _cut_  you, rubber brain!"

"Buh s'da trff!" He tried to defend, muffled by Zoro's grip.

"S'nonsense! Shuddup 'bout it already, idiot!" He whispered harshly, not convincingly menacing.  _Wow! A red cactus that pouts!_

Annoying Zoro was even  _easier_  these days!  _Shishishi, thanks, Fi!_  Luffy laughed while Zoro continued to threaten him until they came to a mutual understanding wherein Luffy eventually stopped because he liked being alive. Zoro released his face so they could crawl out from under the heavy mountain of weights together, and with one last warning glare, he started reorganizing his weights into big stacks.

Luffy turned his attention to bothering the real-life  _actual_   _ninja!_ Not like those super nice but weird Wano ninja!

She sat near the helm, distracted with what was probably super awesome ninja stuff.  _AW BINGO!_  She unrolled one of those small black cylinders that she called  _scrolls_  and made a few of those funny hand-signs!  _Nin-ja! Nin-ja! Nin-ja!_  With a quiet puff of smoke, bloody kunai and shuriken materialized from thin air and fell to the ground in a waterfall of bloody metal.

" _OooOOHHH!_ "He stretched across the deck, snapping like a rubber band as he bounced into her, gripping her shoulders in excitement. He squat down behind her and leaned in to examine the small mountain of weapons, feeling the stars in his eyes. "Cooooooool!Where'd ya get all those?!"

"Stole them." She answered and didn't put him in a choke hold or even threaten to drown him!  _Shishishi,_  progress!

But,  _hmm._ He wasn't  _real_  concerned 'bout her, but her haki was still all weird, thin and fuzzy. And she looked like Trao-guy whenever he hadn't slept for a week straight! He gave her a wide grin, 'cause she'd be fine since she was with them! "Who'd ya steal 'em from?!"

"From all the ninja I killed on that last island." She was nonchalant as she pulled stuff out of a small box full of Zoro's sword cleaning supplies.

 _Shishishi,_  boy, they had a long way to go with the whole murder thing, huh? "You should really stop doing that!"

Her lip pulled up in distaste in time with her eye-roll.

Yup,Fi liked killin'!  _Shishishi_ , that could be a problem one day! He pat her shoulder in reassurance. "Why d'ya have so many?!"

"They are difficult to acquire and easy to lose. I need a good stash on the ship." She explained as she started cleaning one of the ninja stars.

"Why are they so bloody and gross?!"

She briefly paused to eye him over her shoulder. "Why  _wouldn't_  they be bloody?"

" _Ah!_  Good point! _"_   _Shishishi,_  he loved giving Fi trouble. She was as easy as Zoro! "Where ya gonna keep all those? Bet they'll be  _reaaaaal_  hard to find, being hidden by a _nin~ja_  and all! You probably count 'em, huh? Be a  _~shame_  if any went missing."

" _Tsk._ " She clicked her tongue, hands cleaning the metal. "At least you'll give Chopper some practice at reattaching fingers."

He squeezed her shoulders in restrained affection, resisting the urge to wrap himself around her a thousand times and hug her into oblivion.  _See?!_  He was learnin' how to love Fi without getting… assinat...assnated… assassinated! " _Soooo…_ Guess if you need all those stock-piled on the Sunny, ya plan on stayin' a while, don't cha?"

She narrowed her gaze and paused her cleaning. "I'll give you to the count of two." She spun the still-bloody shuriken around her finger, little droplets of scarlet and cleaning oil flinging this way and that. " _One._ "

 _Shishishi…_  He grinned but stood and took many steps away all the same, 'cause maybe he loved her but also he didn't wanna bleed to death that afternoon!

A door slammed open, and Chopper stormed out onto the lawn deck, medical supplies in hand, huffing and puffing.

_Shiiiit! Retreat! Retreat!_

" _Fi-o-re!_ " The little reindeer started.  _Oh, whew!_  He was safe! Better stay quiet though, just in case. Chopper continued scolding the ninja."You can't be  _playing in blood_  with your bare hands, especially not with you shoulder exposed like that!" He got hulked toward the helm to examine her stitches, and Luffy melded a little further into the bakground. "Do you have  _any idea_  the kinds of diseases you're exposing yourself to like this?!"

Fi rolled her eyes with a deep sigh, looking like the air had been let out of her. "I've  _told_  you that kind of thing doesn't affect someone like me."

Chopped pulled his head back to glare at the ninja more directly, mortally offended. "What kind of idiot thinks they're invincible to  _bloodborne pathogens?!_ " He fumed as he smacked ointment onto Fi's stitches and then slapped a white bandage over it all.

 _Shishi, ouch!_  Fi didn't pull away but just flopped over onto her uninjured side, enduring the rough treatment with a cranky face.  _So dramatic!_ "You're so dramatic, Fi!"

 _Eeek!_ Good thing Chopper held her down. Her glare was scary!

Before he finished his rough treatment, his doctor's fuzzy ears twitched, prompting him glare in a different direction before springing into action again. " _ZORO!_   _What did I say?!"_

 _Woah!_ Chopper was really flyin' through the air!

"Huh?" Zoro grunted dumbly as he tilted his head to look over a few seconds too late, seeing the underside of reindeer hooves soar towards him.

" _No training after booster shots!_ "Chopper screamed as he put a stop to the swordsman's exercise with an  _amazing_  flying drop kick!

Barbells and barrels rained down again.

A finger plugging each ear, Fi watched with a peaceful smile as Zoro crawled from under his weights once more, this time to receive a loud lecture and a few more lumps on his head courtesy of a hoof.

" _Shishishi…_ " Luffy smiled in satisfaction, resettling his hat on his head as he slowly stepped away.

 _Yosh!_ All was well on the lawn deck! Chopper carried on with doctor stuff as usual! No need to worry about Fi with those two around! And for Zoro's part…  _Wow!_  Even after all their years together, Luffy was  _still_  impressed—Zoro was the bravest and  _dumbest_  guy he knew! Fi was  _terrifying!_

Speaking of, time to risk life and limb!

Luffy stretched his arms across the lawn deck to find an anchor point and then — _yahhoooo!_ —rocketed up to the observation deck, slapping his body into the glass spread eagle, peering in at Robin and Nami with a small, tight-lipped grin. Both women gave a start, each turning to peer at him with warm and fiery looks, respectively. After that, he let gravity do the work, slowly sliding down the glass with a funny squeak noise and then oozing his way through an open window.

"How many damn times do I have to tell you  _not_ to smack into the window like that?! It's so weird!" Nami roared despite that her attention stayed on the map spread out on her big drawing table.

Robin's eyes didn't leave her journal as two disembodied hands sprouted from his shoulders to pull his rubber cheeks from his rubber bones. "Enjoying your afternoon rounds, captain?"

"Sure am!" He answered, slinking over to where the smartest person who ever lived was working at the big desk in the middle of the room. "Whatcha writin'? Makin' more of our adventure books?"

" _Fufufu_ , I'm not writing a log, no. I'm working on an article for the Grand Line Archaeology Society."

"Ooooooh,  _a history mystery?!_  Tell me, tell me!"

She humored him, smiling and looking up to rest her chin in her palm. "It's a theory piece on why conflict-based models of ancient society and political economy need to  include an analysis of culture-specific developmental trajectories within a comparative perspective of complexity."

He blinked a few times, a tumbleweed rolling along in the desert of his mind.  _Boy, shishishi!_  "I didn't understand  _anything_ you just said!" His archaeologist knew everything! "You know everything!  _Ro-bin! Ro-bin!_ "

Her smile deepened as she affectionately patted his arm before he drifted towards the best navigator in the whole damn world! " _Shishi_ , nice glasses, nerrrd." He teased, stretching his neck under Nami's arm to get a better look at the map she was drawing and settlin' his head back comfortably against her big ol' pillows. " _Oooh_ , startin' a new map, are ya?'

"Sure am!" She penciled a spot on her half-drawn work.

"Another Nami original!" With his body still standing by her normally, he smacked her back enthusiastically, 'til she jammed the eraser side against his head in warning. She was really toleratin' him today—must be in a good mood! "Where ya mappin'?"

"To be honest, I'm not entirely certain yet. I was checking our heading and relative bearing when I noticed something weird with all the maps of the area ahead…" She vaguely gestured to the other maps strewn around, to the left and right. "And the more I study, the more it doesn't add up. Or  _line_  up, rather." She rotated a few of the maps around. "See?"

Head dropping to the side in consideration, he studied the parchment and shoved his pinky into his nose to wiggle loose a booger. "Nope."

"This sea is reported as completely mapped, but if my calculations are correct, which they  _obviously_  are, there nearly a hundred square kilometers are  _missing_ —unaccounted for in  _any_ map!"

He scanned the maps again, but his eyes glazed over. Those lines and maps were sheer nonsense! Oh man,  _yeah_ , they'd have all  _definitely_  died  _ages_  ago at sea if it wasn't for Nami! "Whatcha think is out there?"

She was quiet a moment, and when he tilted his head back to look up, that scary twinkle appeared in her eyes as they slid down to his.  _Yow! Abort! Abor_ —"I have an idea of what we might find in that unmapped territory." The evil glimmer turned into Beri signs.  _Oh, whew, safe. For now._  "Not to mention there's supposedly a  _very_ interesting Celestial  _trea~sury_ in that area."

 _Shishshii,_  still all about that gold, even when she already has all that treasure! Nami was so rich it wouldn't surprise him if there was just a picture of her at Raftel! "Guess we should do some 'splorin' and steal lotsa treasure!"

"Captain's whim, huh?" A sly grin overtook her features. " _~Guuuess_  it can't be  _~helped._ " She looked over to Robin, who'd started watching them curiously, eyebrows raised gently. "Don't you look at me like  _that_ , Robin- _chwan_. You heard Luffy. We should ~ _explore_. Not  _my_ fault who or what  _~else_  we find along the way!"

"If you think that's wise, miss navigator." She allowed, turning pages in three different open books with disembodied hands. "Shall we give you a traditional burial at sea or repatriate your remains to Cocoyashi? Perhaps you'd prefer us to scatter your ashes on the breeze—we could easily construct a temporary crematorium in Usopp's fireproof testing room with one of Franky's flamethrowers."

"Don't be so cynical." He could hear the eye-roll in Nami's voice. "She wouldn't  _really_ …  _Hehe,_ she probablywouldn't  _actually_ …" She fidgeted behind Luffy's head. " _Wellll…_ "

No longer sure what they were talking about, Luffy pulled his pinky from his nose and inspected the ball of sticky goop on his finger.  _Yellow this time!_  "Oh! Look, Nami, it's  _yellow_  this time!"

She froze, and a glance to her face revealed she was not impressed with the vivid mustard color. He started to flick it away so she wouldn't be so disgusted, but her howl stopped him short. " _DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, YOU DISGUSTING MONKEY!"_

After getting throttled for the booger thing,  _shishishi_ , and then literally thrown from the observation deck, Luffy's stomach complained loudly.  _GGRRRRRRRRRRRR._

 _Ugh, huunnggrryyyyy_ … "Sanjiiiii!"

Oh, and he sensed Brook there, too! He strode for the galley, announcing his arrival. "FooooOOO _ODD_!"

His cook was moving behind the counter, flipping something heavenly in one pan, stirring up something mouthwatering in another, a constant blur of motion.  _YAAAS!_ " _GO SANJI GO!_ " Not much longer before dinner!

"Sit down, idiot, and wipe up that drool! You're so foul!"

Luffy wanted to get closer but learned years ago that when he got too close to the kitchen everything caught on fire! Instead, he wiped the spit off his chin and took his place at the head of the table, near where Brook drank tea and read a newspaper. " _Brooooook_! It's almost dinnertime!"

" _Oh_! My stomach is  _quivering_  in anticipation!" He dropped the paper as he opened both his hands next to his face, palms forward and wiggling his splayed, bony fingers in a gesture of excitement. "Except I don't have a stomach!  _Yo-ho! Yo-ho! Yohohohoho!_ "

" _Ahshishishi!_  Good one, Brook!"

The two guys talked for a few minutes about something that Luffy wasn't really able to concentrate on, something about vegetarians. All he could focus on was the smell of dinner so strong in the air.  _Mmmmh,_   _grilled fiiiiiiish!_

Oh, yeah! He snapped out of his hunger-stupor long enough to interrupt their conversation. "I can't wait 'til Jinbei gets back!"

Sanji looked up for a moment. "You think Jinbei and Fi will get along okay?"

He blinked blankly at Sanji for a moment before he looked off, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he considered it. " _Hmh_ , lemme think…" Jinbei was  _sorta_  an easy target with how seriously he took everything, and Fi was  _sorta_ , a big rabble rouser. And plus, it wasn't a secret that Jinbei could bea  _bossy_  old fish—he always demanded the most obvious stuff. And  _man—_ Fi  _hated_  being told what to do, especially when it was somethin' obvious.

Last week, when Luffy was fishing with the two, Zoro caught a fish and said,  _'Net it, Fi.'_  So the ninja, who had already been standing by with the net, looked at the grumpy-grass and said,  _'Really? Net it? Is that what I'm supposed to do?'_  And then she threw the net into the ocean and cut his line! She and Zoro fought about it for like an hour!

But both Jinbei and Fi practiced kinds of karate fighting, so they could just be friends who beat each other up a lot! "It'll be  _fiiiiine_." He waved it off. "They'll be peas in a pod!"

"You are ever the optimist, Luffy!" Brook pointed out with amusement, attention on the newspaper spread over the table-top before him.

Sanji shrugged, muttering as his hands worked. "Hope you're right about that one, cap."

"Oh, right!"  _Another_  thought struck Luffy, not used to having so many in a row but happy about this one! "Sanji, will you make lotsa snacks after dinner?! Brook, will you sing and play super exciting music tonight?!" He grabbed his nearby bony hand, shaking it in excitement as he rambled on. "Don't cha guys think we should have a big party tonight?!" Luffy cheered in Sanji's direction, pumping Brook's skeleton arm into the air with each syllable. " _Par-ty! Par-ty! Par-ty!_ "

Sanji's eyes turned up to him briefly before falling back to the green leafy stuff he chopped at the counter. "And why are we celebrating this time?"

"Cause—" He corrected his volume, half-whispering, knowing she might to hear if he was too loud. "Cause Fi stayed!"

"Splendid idea, captain!" Brook whispered conspiratorially. "I'll play tunes so good our ears will weep with joy! Except I don't have any ears!  _Yohohoho!_ "

" _Don't_  make it a thing. You'll make her uncomfortable with the attention." Sanji smiled in spite of his warning. "I'll whip up drinks and treats."

" _Shishishi._ " He snickered. "I won't!"

Sanji chopped stuff. Brook sipped his tea and turned a page. Luffy smiled at nothing and everything.

 _Yosh!_ What a good afternoon! All things mellooow!

But  _hunngggrrryyyy…_  "Is dinner done yet? I'm staaarviiiiing! Sanji, _foooooood!_ "

"Shut up, you rubber gibbon! It's obviously not done!"

" _Yoho…_ Say, Luffy, let me distract you with something  _interesting_  I heard today!"

 _Shishishi,_  his crew. Buncha troublemakers.

"Sure, Brook!"

* * *

 

Her consciousness fell in and out with unusual ease.

On the garden deck, Fi laid flat on her back, arms crossed behind her head for comfort.

The bound log about the crew's fateful first encounter with Brook was open but resting on her face. She'd hardly gotten a few pages into Robin's narration before her eyes drooped heavily.

She was tired but  _restful._  It was a weird combination for her. The fact that she wasn't more of a mess had quite a bit to do with the marimo. If Fi was honest with herself, Zoro's presence was much appreciated that day. He'd proven to be a most effective distraction from her exhaustion and nerves, as handsome as he was irritating, and hilariously easy… and unintentionally funny… begrudgingly sweet...

 _Ugh, gross._ The pirate kool-aid was finally getting to her.

She inched the log down her face, looking up at the swordsman breathing slowly next to her. To her left—always to her left, as if he didn't trust her in his blind spot or something—he leaned back against the wooden frame of the garden bed that encircled the mast. Arms crossed over his chest and legs folded, he appeared to sleep.

' _Meditating,'_ he'd intoned all quasi-cryptic one time, acting like some wise old toad about it. Zoro was many things, but he was  _not_  sagely. And regardless of his insistence that she  _'obviously needed to meditate,'_  it was an old, familiar practice. For her, she'd told him, meditation was a hallowed path. The lines of his face had deepened with his scowl as he'd muttered that she sounded like  _'Hawkeye.'_ She hadn't pressed him for details at the time, but she remained quite curious about the swordsmen's truce. The marimo had yet to defeat his one and only real rival, but that fact seemed politically motivated, as far as Fi had gathered.

But there was no question about it—Zoro would have his title when the time came. As if she would get involved with a loser.

Her gaze lingered on the steady pulse beating under that thick, tanned neck as she considered the calamity he could become. The Enies Lobby log had revealed a glimpse. She couldn't help but wonder who—no— _what_  he'd be now if he had been trained and tried like her. Would he be the same man?

She suppressed a knee-jerk eyeroll.  _This idiot would be_ exactly _the same._

Her eyes turned up to the sky where overhead indigo darkened to navy. No doubt he felt her stare, the man as attentive as ever. But there was no reason to break his focus, either. Not as if the damn man would give her what she really wanted  _anyway_ …

The last light of the day dappled the waves a shimmering gold and turned swaths of wispy clouds into something seraphic against the corals and mauves of the horizon. It was the kind of sunset when she would float on her back in the middle of the vast sea, solitary but free and safe. Part of her may have loved the deep dark below, but she couldn't get enough of the limitless sky.

Fi was still watching the colors of dusk when sandals snapped their way through the Sunny, slaps echoing in the narrow hall and then out onto the lawn deck. A short-lived silence was her only warning of the inbound captain of crew catastrophe.

One rubber kid sling-shotted himself up to the garden deck, blotting out the golden rays and the sky above as he dropped from the air to crouch over her, a sandal on either side of her waist. She tensed a little, but not  _really_ , not much. Didn't even reach for any of the weapons she'd hidden underneath the lip of the garden bed behind her.  _Yet._

Hand on his head to hold his hat in place, Luffy grinned down at her and plopped to a seat on her stomach once he saw she was unarmed for now.

In her peripheral, Zoro cracked his eye open to glower with typical, generalized disapproval. She was starting to empathize with that look the longer she stayed on this damn ship.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at the happy fool who simply beamed at her. "Want some  _~snacks_?!"

Her brows immediately lowered again, eyes narrowing. " _Maybe._ " Luffy was sharing food out of the blue?  _Suspicious._  "Did Sanji prepare these snacks?" Perhaps he and Usopp were scheming again… Sadly, even the sharpshooter wasn't quite as terrified of her anymore.

" _Shishishi_ , yup! He's cookin' right now!" His grin widened as he started jabbering nonsense, something about vegetarians and scary grandpas before chanting about snacks again and then demanding her presence down below. Without confirmation, he stretched his arms to the aquarium deck and then rocketed himself down the slide to the lawn deck.

Her weary gaze turned to find Zoro's bemused one already on her. She didn't like his look. "And what are  _you_  smirking about?"

He shrugged and settled back into what would probably be an actual nap, folding his arms behind his head and not tryingto hide his amusement.

Rolling her eyes, she flicked his nose as she found her feet and danced away to avoid his kicking foot, once again comforted by his grumbles about awful ninja.

Fi leapt down to the railing of the second story balcony, pausing in a crouch and testing her balance.  _Damn_. Steadier, yeah, and recovering, but still a bit chakra fatigued. She'd feel more energetic tomorrow.

She could also hear the others shuffling around the ship. Brook tuned a guitar in the crow's nest. Robin shuffled papers in the observation deck, humming to herself quietly. Sanji still audibly flit around his kitchen, working too hard like always but clinking his glass to Nami's regularly as well.

Down on the lawn deck, the younger crew and Franky were already bickering about how to score their wrestling tournament. When they asked her to referee from her vantage point while waiting on the snacks, she agreed.

Her tenure was short.

Chopper got ten points for making snot come out of Usopp's nose but later lost one hundred points for scolding her when she idly picked the bandage off her shoulder. Ultimately, Franky became the night's champion when he offered to craft special ear plugs for her, after she'd disqualified Luffy for his sheer volume. Though the losers  _accused_  her of scoring their matches terribly, she refrained from torturing the ridiculous pirates with clones, still too tired to be bothered with chakra.

Before things got too out of hand, Sanji cut off all conflict when he appeared with plate after plate of skewered grilled meats, little cakes, and all sorts of snacks, as Luffy had promised.

With the pirates thoroughly distracted, she found a seat on the starboard railing and ignored the urge to stretch out like usual, not wanting to get criticized by the lot of them. Chopper  _and_ Namihad both already lectured her for falling halfway down the crow's nest ladder that morning—surely thanks to Brook, that tea-spilling, undead  _osteocyte_. And, truthfully, Fi was also still a touch embarrassed about it all, didn't want a repeat even if unlikely.

…Though, she didn't honestly  _regret_  finding herself snug in the arms of her meaty swordsman. Fi had been taken with how intimate and romantic it might have been had he not been so mad about it.

 _Hell_ , maybe she should lay down and risk falling overboard. They'd never let her live it down, but Zoro wouldtake his shirt off if he jumped into the water after her, right? And if he didn't, she could always just tear it off his body when she finally decided to drown him.

Instead, she remained upright as she watched most of the crew appear outside. There was only one pirate missing, but his boots thudded down the stairs only seconds after the booze had started to flow.

Sanji stumbled around with a huge pitcher, kicking Usopp and Luffy out of the way to pour generous servings of a spicy drink heavy with rum and ginger wine. It was no wonder the cook and Nami were already skunked if that was what they'd been drinking!

Fi suppressed a wave of excitement as Zoro stomped across the deck, dark eye effortlessly pulling at her loose threads just a little more. He took his mug of booze from Sanji with an insult, casually dodged an errant rubber foot, and sidestepped Nami when she leapt up to drunkenly strangle the flailing captain.

Zoro wasn't shy in approach, stomping right over and leaning against the railing to Fi's left. She offered him a half-smile in greeting. "Booze sense tingling?"

Not denying it, his answering grin was eager and shit-eating. "Twirly got out the good stuff tonight!"

 _Ah, damn, so cute._  She hummed and turned her gaze forward again. His quiet company was natural and comfortable, but she couldn't deny the increasing charge between them, thrumming in the background and more demanding than usual. With a conscious effort, she ignored the tension and simply soaked up the man's proximity as they watched the shenanigans for a while.

Despite her lingering fatigue, she admitted to herself that a pirate's life may not be the  _worst_  life, even if they smelled horrible—for no discernible reason, the crew had decided to  _party_.

The ship had covered much water, so they were in the middle of the ocean. And with no immediate need for a lookout, they had dropped anchor and apparently decided to go  _nuts_. The booze flowed  _all_  night. Everyone ran or loafed around the deck, drinking, betting on card games, fighting, laughing, and being ridiculous. Fi watched their uninhibited fun from the periphery, happy to see the crew enjoying themselves. And as expected with so many treats and a strong drink like that, it wasn't long before the pirates were high on sugar and three sheets to the wind. Brook played upbeat music, Sanji twirled and danced around as he served drinks and replenished snacks, and Nami sang along with the skeleton as she gyrated to the beat. Even Franky and Robin whirled around the deck, the occasional shower of flower petals punctuating their dance. The boys romped and wrestled, invigorated by pure sugar and youth, unstoppable except when it came to Nami's fist, of course.

She was content to stay by the marimo who came and went as his empty mug required but most often relaxed his weight back against the railing on which she sat. He stood close enough that their arms brushed, that his warm, boozy breath added to her intoxication whenever they traded insults or laughed at the others together. She admittedly had a few moments of self-consciousness; he felt it too, right? The pull. The struggle to keep her eyes away from his, to keep her hands to herself.

Feeling far too relaxed, she pursed her lips to keep from smiling when she felt Zoro's gaze turn down and linger on her.  _Yeah, he felt it_.At least she managed a teasing tone. "No, I will not dance with you."

His low chuckle buzzed through her. " _Che-haha_. As if I'd ever ask  _you_." She inhaled to  _inform_  him that she danced wonderfully,  _thank you,_  but stopped short when he leaned closer to nuzzle his face into her tied-up hair. It raised bumps along her neck, finding it once a tender and carnal gesture. "I already know ya can't follow a lead to save your damn life, so what's the point."

Oh- _hoho_ , his easy affection was too damn charming.  _Maybe it was the booze, too,_  she consoled.

Her gaze automatically narrowed as she tipped her head, meeting his eye to  _remind_  him just how much he liked it. But she found that the words stuck in her throat as she assessed him, her cheeks hot as hell with his closeness.  _Snap_ , okay,  _definitely nothing to do with the rum_.He watched her with the same calm smile as when he first kissed her cheek a few nights ago, reaching out to tug on the end of her messy ponytail. She thought he might say something as he rolled a strand of her hair between his thumb and fingers, but he seemed content to let the energy between them speak for him.

Something thumped in her chest, and she found herself thoroughly lost in his bottomless gaze.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me! We pillage and plunder and rifle and loot, drink up me 'earties, yo ho!"

In the background, Brook started another shanty, and she vaguely heard the others' cheering. But her attention stayed on Zoro—she had other things on her mind. Like his bellicose tongue and booze-laced taste.

 _You damn marimo._ What was he waiting for?!

"We cuddle and snuggle and don't give a hoot, drink up me 'earties, yo ho!" The pleasant melody and the crew's enthusiasm drifted through her ears, but she didn't really  _hear_  it.

 _If he wasn't going to make a move, she sure as hell would!_ She wanted another hot kiss already!

"Lovesick green from the paleocene, killed by his queen so purple and mean! Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!" Brook crooned happily, and the crew laughed at something surely inane.

Fi still wasn't paying the surrounding activities much mind, but something nagged at her as the laughter amplified… Had… Had she heard…

_Wait._

_Purple?_

Their moment was so  _rudely_ , so  _regrettably_  cut premature as they both finally tuned into the crew around them. She pulled her eyes off Zoro's lips, snapping her attention to see Brook by the foremast. With one dress shoe propped up on the bench, that damn skeleton strummed his guitar and stared at them with far more mockery than should be possible with empty orbital sockets.

She felt her jaw pop open as her skin flushed even harder, if possible, lighting up bright red at having been caught in the moment and suddenly at the center of attention.

Sanji and Nami cackled with laughter, while Franky and Robin didn't bother containing themselves either. Even the boys, looking like beached whales due to over-indulging in snacks,  _pointed_  and  _laughed_  at them!

Zoro threatened to cut Brook into no less than three thousand pieces as Fi just lobbed a kunai at the skeleton in warning, sinking it into the foremast a few centimeters above his afro.

They had reacted at the same time, overall making the others laugh even harder. Zoro flipped them all off as she considered several jutsu to drop them all instantly, muttering darkly and severely unimpressed. "Busy-body _pirates._ "

Attention shifted quickly as usual, this time to cheer on Usopp as he retched probably an entire kilo of half-digested food and a lot of liquor over the far railing.

"Where'd that blade come from?" A glance up to Zoro showed her that his face was as red as hers despite his entertained tone.

"From  _around_." Good thing she'd decided to conceal weapons  _all_  over the ship. It had seemed excessive at first, but then she'd reminded herself just exactly with whom she sailed. " _Knew_  I'd need it." She scrunched her nose in irritation. "They've all been smiling weirdly tonight."

He chuckled and shifted closer so that his arm crossed behind her, hand braced on the railing to her right as he leaned in to reassure her. "S'just how they smile, Fi.  _Relax._ "

Feeling less ruffled by the crew while tucked into Zoro's side, they settled into another easy quiet again and watched the general Straw Hat fuckery continue on…  _And on…_  The young crew was still wild, and the rest were sloshed and unsteady on their feet.

The alcohol in her system was more effective tonight, too, since she  _was_  still recovering. And just like when she really let her chakra flow freely, being inebriated brought out more of her  _other_  side. She could feel her body wanting to change in small but revealing ways, a natural inclination for bioluminescent markings and pearly, pointy teeth and claws. But her blue ribbon was wrapped around her arm, and as long as it touched her in some way, it would continue to keep her secret.

Didn't make it any easier to bear the Straw Hat's volume, though. She really looked forward to those ear plugs Franky had described.

The noise eventually got to be a bit too loud for her, and without thinking about it, she turned further into the marimo's side, pressing her forehead into his firm form. She inhaled deeply and saturated her senses with him. "I should relocate."

His amused hum reverberated through her. "Surprised ya lasted this long. S'extra crazy 'round here tonight."

"I noticed." She grumbled, also noting that he seemed to know something she didn't about the crew's exceptional festivities.  _Whatever._  Probably just pirate nonsense as  _always_. Letting it go, she slid forward until her feet touched the deck again, pulling away from Zoro and turning just enough to look up at him. She froze for just a moment, snared in that dark gaze of his, seeing everything he and this damn crew made her feel reflected right back at her.  _Fuccck._  "Bring booze."

"Aye." He rumbled in gravelly agreement, watching her every move.

She slinked away, feeling his stare burning into her back until Usopp took his attention, recruiting him for some card game with unintelligible, baloney rules.

Fi refreshed her drink, making sure Sanji didn't see. No need to make him feel bad; he'd probably apologize all over himself for not being properly attentive even in his wasted state.

She made her way to the second story deck and sat on the balcony railing, knees tucked to her chest and arms around herself, sipping her drink and watching the chaos with just enough distance to buffer the volume. Predictably, the card tournament below fell apart into name-calling and two separate spars that eventually turned into one big one. Fi no longer gave a thought to the fact that it was the blond and the moss head who escalated things in the first place. It wasn't long before Robin decided it was time to clinch the win and shut things down. With her long legs crossed, still elegantly sipping from her wine glass, she held the rest of the crew down and tickled everyone into submission. A chill of anomalous fear skittered down Fi's back.  _Yikes._  A horrendous, humiliating defeat indeed.

Through the antics, it was all Fi could do to sit there and  _not_  be absolutely overwhelmed by the feeling of… Contentment. Safety.

Trust.

 _Shit, she really shouldn't drink._ Because she was feeling too fucking much.

As things below shifted yet again, she noticed Zoro slip away from the others. How could she  _not_  notice, at this point? Her senses followed him everywhere.  _Ugh._  She should practice some restraint.

He stomped into the ship's interior, up the ladder to the galley to pilferage any remainder of the cocktail Sanji had made, and down the elevator to the aquarium bar behind her. She heard him open a low cabinet, rustle through a few bottles, open one, and then chug, chug, chug… chug…  _chug…_ Damn, Zoro.

Nine steps more, and he stepped outside near-silently. Five steps as he stalked up behind her.

She dipped to the right bit, evading as he tried to push her off the balcony and face-first to the lawn deck below, and then nonchalantly turned to swing one leg to the inside of the railing, straddling it to keep an eye on him. He didn't appear impressed with her effortless dodge. But sitting on the railing like this, she was pleased to be closer to eye level; not quite, but close.  _Hmm._ She also liked the pink that highlighted the few, faint freckles across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. Didn't people say the devil was a handsome man?

He carried two short rocks glasses in one hand, along with a half-emptied bottle of…  _Oh._ Oh, damn. He was  _good_.

That was dark rum.

A sharp heat struck behind her navel, his words from that morning  _again_  boiling her blood.

He handed her a glass with an insult rolling off his tongue. "You look like some shitty gargoyle up here."

"Better than having an aneurysm." She raised an eyebrow and held up an upturned palm when an ungodly screech from below conveniently underscored her point.

The man openly  _laughed_ , head tipped back and both eyes scrunched shut for a short moment. Fi felt like she could suddenly burst, nearly overwhelmed again.  _Ugh, alcohol._  She really  _shouldn't_  drink, dammit. He opened his good eye again, still snickering as he watched Sanji kick the shit out of Luffy for knocking Nami's drink out of her hand, while Chopper transformed to heavy point and tackled the cook for knocking his cake out of his hoof.

The affection in Zoro's mirth was…Her chakra revitalized only to squeeze her heart and try to burrow through her chest. Ah,  _hell_.  _Come on, Fang, operate._

She attempted to regain her sense of self as Zoro turned his full attention back to her, typical grumpiness traded for that horribly knowing scrutiny to accompany his grin. He leaned his right hip into the rail and crossed one ankle over the other as he faced her, standing close. "Come on—let's have a cheers."

Interest piqued, she searched his happy expression, biting on her own reactive smile as he raised the bottle to pour her a generous shot of the aromatic, teak liquid. "A cheers?"

He filled his own cup with a big shot, expression turning devilish. "To my good luck."

She reassured herself he couldn't smell her arousal the way she could. Probably? No, yeah. He couldn't.  _Right._ Ignoring the animal part of her brain, she tilted her head in question.  _To his good luck?_

His eyes darted to her lips and then away, across the water and then down towards the others. Looking the slightest bit unsure, he raised a hand to scratch at his head, pushing his spikes this way and that. " _Ah,_ 'cause _…_ I,  _uh_ … And you…"

 _Ohhoho_. Hell.

Even with how forward they'd been, she was still disarmed whenever he got genuinely flustered like that. The man was damn near irresistible as it was, but when he got all red like that, her instinct to grab his face and—

Fi raised her glass to his, cutting off her explicit ideas and ending his struggle with a  _clink_. "To your dumb luck." She was more than willing to cheers to her half-drunk interpretation of his words.  _His_  reason for saying that was a puzzle for the sober ninja of tomorrow.

His midnight gaze found hers again, confidence back and looking damn pleased, getting locked in their usual stare down as they tossed back their drinks.

The alcohol vapors stung her nose as she exhaled, but then charred oak and grassy cane emerged as she swallowed. Sweet and sharp.  _Shit._  His eye only left hers to watch her mouth when she licked the residual rum off her lips. The ever-present brine that came with life at sea abruptly took on new meaning. Her low abdomen clenched, the hitch between her legs becoming harder to ignore.

She'd have found it funny if it wasn't so all-consuming.

Wordlessly, he re-filled her glass again, followed by his own. The silence only thickened the air, emphasizing the tropical heat between them. They bumped their cups together again and downed their second drink. Well,  _fuck_. She'd never enjoy an agricole the same way again.

Another silent refill. Another silent cheers. A third shot.

That was it. He'd found her limit.

Three heavy pours of hot, sticky, sexual tension, and she was considering violence—dragging his ass to either her bed or the ocean but fucking  _settling_  it one way or the other.

And he fucking  _knew it._

Eye practically black and smoldering, he sat the bottle between them on the railing and gripped her jaw, turning her mouth away to press his lips into the arch of her cheekbone. "Don't be in such a rush," he murmured, burning his rough lips into her flushed skin once more before he stood to full height. He released her chin to playfully tug on a loose strand of hair falling over her shoulder. At least he looked just as affected as her. "I leave the bottle to you, lightweight."

She raised a foot to kick his brain through his face when he stepped away, but he avoided it with an ease that didn't escape her. With one last blazing look over his shoulder, he left from whence he came, presumably off to find a bottle of booze for himself.

Fi's heart hammered against her ribcage.

 _Oh-ho._ Oh,  _hell._

This was no good. No good at  _all_.

Fi chugged the little remaining liquor in the bottle and turned to hop off the railing, planting her ass directly on the second story deck. She threaded her legs through the slats of the railing and leaned forward to rest her head against the wood, watching from her self-imposed jail as the crew's residual antics and energy petered out. It was quieting down, finally, and after a while, the others started to fall asleep where they had just been wrestling and playing, comically like toddlers fighting sleep until the last second.  _What fools…_

Her gaze found green hair and gold earrings at the bow of the Sunny, climbing up to the figurehead and disappearing from sight when he sat down. She imagined how he watched the dark water with his matching eye, raising a bottle to his lips every other minute or so. Smiling? Frowning?

_To Zoro's good luck._

Well…

 _Fuck_.

It was going to be a long few weeks at sea, wasn't it?

* * *

  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all reaaally need to thank ni21, not only for the wondrous betaing and improving this chapter like ya wouldn't believe, BUT FOR THE AMAZING SEA SHANTY THAT BROOK SANG!!!! That delightful bit was all her!!
> 
> I've mentioned it a bunch: ni21's Robin x Zoro fic, Shoganai, is and is about to be all sorts of hot and heavy… I highly recommend it for all your needs ;) The detail is both insightful and often hilarious, so there's something for everyone (just make sure you first read the tags & warnings if you're new to it).
> 
> Also, I'm actively trying to make chapters a bit shorter and thus update more often. I thought about splitting this giant chapter, but here we are… Even so, I still can't promise any kind of regular update schedule unless I put this fic on hiatus & get ahead by several chapters. Any opinions on this, let me know; always happy to hear from yall :)
> 
> And thanks again for reading!


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